


Devil's Kiss

by rebel_raven



Series: Sanity is Relative, Insanity is more fun and Coffee is Necessary [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: A lot of blood at one point, Angst, Attempted Sexual Assault, Bill Cipher is Bill Cipher, Bill and Dipper bond over books, Bill is depressed and an insomniac, Blood, Boating trips, But he's a good guy underneath, Caffeine Addiction, Caffeine Withdrawal, Childhood Trauma, Coping Mechanisms, Did I Mention Angst?, Dipper is a nerd, Dipper is also depressed and an insomniac, Dipper is horrible at taking care of himself, Dipper is sarcastic, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Happy Ending, Healthy Relationships, Horrible pick up lines, Human Bill Cipher, Illness, Insane and little shit, Journalist/Documentarist Dipper, Look past the outer shell, Lots of Hurt and comfort, Lots of Mabel Juice, M/M, Mabel Juice, Modern Day, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Past Relationship(s), Pranks and Practical Jokes, Protective Bill Cipher, Protective Mabel Pines, Sanity is Relative while on the road, Seductive Bill Cipher, Self Confidence Issues, Self Esteem Issues, Self-Harm, Song Lyrics, Stan and Ford are so protective of Dipper and Mabel, Tad and Pyronica are protective of their sets of twins, Tad and Will are worried about Bill, Tad is a mother hen sometimes, The Cipher Twins had A+ parenting, Wendy is kinda a bitch, Will is fiercely protective of Bill, Will is sassy, attempted suicide, band au, breifly, hospital trips, past unhealthy relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-02
Updated: 2017-11-16
Packaged: 2018-05-30 20:24:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 23,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6438949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebel_raven/pseuds/rebel_raven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bill is seduction on crack, way too chipper and is complex as playing poker blindfolded in a pitch black room with no noise.<br/>Tad is there to make sure his best friend doesn’t kill himself via groupie.<br/>Will is amused and worried and tries to keep his twin from going insane (or more so than he already is).<br/>Pyronica is done with all of them and deals with their shit because she’s a good friend like that.<br/>Dipper is a journalist the needs a story to distract him from his own past and is hooked on mystery.<br/>Mabel is Devil’s Kiss manager and is trying to get her twin to see the better parts of life, despite his past and pessimism.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coffee? Check. Keys, Camera, Computer, Pen and Paper? Check. Sanity? Out the window

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO EVERYONE!!! I love Gravity Falls and there aren't enough AU's to me in the world. SO! I made an AU that no one thought of to do for this fandom yet. I think. Anyways, this work is unbeta'd and if there are any changes to the plot, words change around or there are parts that you want back, or you see a mistake, please do leave a comment and I will try to fix it soon as I can. Comments are much loved and make me post faster. This work is going to turn into a monster, and I have no idea how long it will be, and I have other works that I have to finish but I will try to post at least once a week, possibly Thursdays but don't hold me to that. As this is a band AU, I will be taking songs that I think Bill and the others would sound good singing, or I may post some of my poetry as a ballad (that's a slim chance though). The song in this chapter is Puppeteer, by Max Schneider. If you guys have any suggestions for songs, leave a comment with the artist(s) and song(s) and they may end up in the fic! I hope you enjoy! On with the story!  
> No, wait, I lied.  
> DISCLAIMER!!!  
> I OWN NOTHING!!! ALL GRAVITY FALLS CHARACTERS BELONG TO ALEX HIRSCH. I OWN NOTHING, except for the OC's. I OWN NOTHING!!!  
> Okay, NOW on with the story!  
> Enjoy!  
> -RR

There was not nearly enough coffee in the world to pull the brunet out of his exhausted, sleep deprived stupor he decided as he laid his cheek down on the worn table. He let out a heavy sigh, which was more of a heavy gust, a kind of world weary sigh that a twenty-five year old should not know. Then again, graduating grad school at the young age of twenty-three, having two masters, one in the English language and the other in Literature, and a minor from undergrad of documentary and filming, it may have been well earned. Well, that and he wouldn’t be paid for his most recent essay until a week from today, after his rent was due. He blearily looked at his coffee machine, contemplating if it was worth the effort of even standing when he had just gotten comfortable. His sleep deprived body screamed for him to take it easy, his eyes begged to be closed and free of a white screen and low screen lighting, and his back was protesting the hunched position.   
  
He groaned, low and mournful, before peeling his face from the table and shuffling over the electric kettle, thanking his past self for remembering to refill it, and as it began to boil, fumbled with a box of mostly unused tea bags before he managed to win. He stumbled a bit, tripping over his own feet before he crossed the small apartment kitchen to get to the cabinet over the sink that held his mugs, plates and glasses and pulled out a mug with a ghost with thick black glasses on the side. His twin, Mabel, had gotten it for him as a joke several years ago, start of college, actually, when all his mugs had been broken in the move, and he still used it frequently.

Mabel was also the one who got him into tea, at least on occasion when he was too lazy, or more likely too tired, to make coffee and while he had dragged his feet on the issue, he found that drinking tea while he wrote actually helped him think better and kept him more focused than coffee, which was needed in almost copious amounts to keep caffeine headaches away. He had not yet hit such a desperate state that he needed to ask Mabel for the recipe to Mabel Juice, which, as his Grunkle Stan, and later Grunkle Ford said when he saw the startling pink concoction,

“It’s like if nightmares and coffee had a baby.” It was intensely pink, glittered and had some kind of plastic creature inside, usually dinosaurs but occasionally there would be cats or dolphins. He was halfway sure that there was smile dip included in the disturbing mixture but Mabel had growled when he mentioned it and looked so pale he was halfway worried she would faint. It was copious amounts of sugar, some “special ingredients”, glitter, and plastic creatures. And ice cubes, ice cubes were a must. Dipper shuddered at the thought of the juice and grabbed the kettle just as it started to whistle and began to steep the jasmine tea.

“I sent off the essay to Frost Magazine, so that’s done…” Dipper paused to yawn and took a slow, long sip of his tea before he shuffled back to his room, plaid pajama pants hanging low on his pointed hips as he scratched his stomach, making the light blue shirt ride up his toned torso before it fell again, his now free hand running through his hair as he made his way down the short hall of his one bedroom apartment, passing the bathroom and into the living room before he plopped himself into his desk chair and powered up his computer. Admittedly, it had been turned off for maybe four or five hours, and plugged in just before, but it didn’t help that he had misplaced his sleeping pills. Not that he liked to depend on them anyways, though Mabel would harp on him if she found out he hadn’t been sleeping well again…

Dipper shook his head and rubbed his eyes, resolving to get a full eight hours at some point during the day and hopefully repair the damage done for the past two weeks. He yawned again and almost jumped when his cat, a black, three year old kitten named Ceaser, jumped into his lap and proceeded to purr loudly until he pet the lithe creature.

“Let’s see if Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford made it to France, hmn?” He murmured, turning on his music and lowering the volume so not to give himself a headache.   
  
He opened a new browser and typed in the web address, noticing nothing from the various magazines he submitted to for rent money, not that he was expecting it, and an email from his parents that he knew was asking is he was alright, how life was, if he wanted to move back home- Fine, going well and hell to the no. He had moved out of Piedmont for a fucking reason and he shuddered at the thought of going back. It was nice, sure, but there were too many people he knew from his childhood there, i.e his old tormentors. Besides, a change of pace would do him good. Thus, Salem, Oregon was chosen. Close enough to Washington State that he could have visited if he wanted but- Dipper shut down those thoughts faster than a crashing airplane and threw them into a mental bear trap. They could stay there for all he cared. He refused to think about… her in any context. He shuddered and tried to ignore the old pains that flared up, quickly shoving them back down.

Ceaser meowed softly, headbutting his arm and batting at his chest. He blinked and looked into the cat’s disturbingly gold eyes and smiled, gently rubbing the backs of her ears. She purred loudly, eyes closing as she curled up in his lap. Dipper sent a short reply to his parents, saying he was doing just fine, thank you, and that he didn’t want to move back home. He was doing just fine and would call them later if he had the time. Dipper moved along, deleting old junk and spam before he reached two new emails. One was from his Grunkles, which he opened eagerly, reading and then re-reading it’s contents.

‘ _Dipper-_  
_How are you doing in Salem? I haven’t been up that far when I was living in Oregon. Stan and I have yet to reach France, though we may stop off in California in a few weeks to see Mabel and her friends. We hope to see you as well; it should be on the ninth or tenth of February that we dock in San Diego and we will be leaving by the sixteenth by the latest, then heading to France. I know you have been extremely busy but we would like to see you at some point, and I mean in person, Dipper, not through Skype, as it cuts out often and it is hard to keep the connection in the first place- You get the idea. Anyways, we’re doing fine, aside from the occasional paranormal mishap, nothing exciting has happened. We will tell you what happened when we see you. Yes, that is incentive to come to California. Yes, it is mostly Stan’s idea, but to be fair, you won’t come otherwise, it seems._

_Best, Ford_

_Hey Kid-_  
_As my nerdy brother said, we’re going to be in Cali for a few weeks to see Mabel and her band, since she wouldn’t stop pestering us to come to at least one show. Anyways, hope you’re settled in and shit, since you moved to Salem after the whole… Incident. You know to email or call us if anything happens, Dipper. We’ll see you in Cali, and yes, it was mostly my idea because you’re stubborn and overwork yourself. Don’t be stupid, Dipper, and come take a break. Also, talk to your sister. She’s been chewing my ear off, Ford’s too, about some big plan. I tried to talk her out of it, but it seems she’s set. Good luck, kid._  
_-Stan_ ’

Dipper huffed a laugh at his Grunkle’s email. Well, emails but they shared the page, simply sending them both in one text body instead of having the hassle of sending two when internet connection was limited at best when out at sea. He smiled though, as he eyed the picture of himself, Mabel, Grunkle Ford and Grunkle Stan on the deck of the Stano’war, all laughing as they toasted and posed cheesily. It had been a beautiful day… Again, those thoughts of the past were surfacing and Dipper clamped down on them before they could come through the cracks, seep in between the teeth of the bear trap he had thrown them into. He closed his eyes before he clicked on Mabel’s email, letting his music wash over him. One band that he liked in particular, and not what Mabel said with a teasing smirk anytime they video chatted or called each other, because of the lead singer, but for the music. He took a deep breath and let it out, sinking a little further into the slightly uncomfortable desk chair. Bill Cipher’s low voice practically crooned through the speakers,

 _You're dripping fire tonight._  
_You're like a miracle, you got me feeling so,_  
_Ah ah ah hey hey hey hey_  
_Ah ah ah, hey hey hey hey_  
_Look like the rest of my life._  
_You're like a centerfold_  
_I wanna make you go_  
_Hey hey hey hey_  
_I wanna make you go_  
_Ah ah ah, Ow!_

 _Girl you're all the rage, so can we turn the page_  
_And tell me little somethin', little more than just your name_  
_I don't bite, but I heard you might_  
_So let me feed your appetite._  
_Where do we go from here?_  
_Whisper what you want in my ear,_  
_My little puppeteer._

Dipper sighed and shook his head, eyes now half-lidded. Bill Cipher was seduction on crack; every video of the man, from the few music videos to the occasional talk show and the performances, he was smoky, eyes burning bright and hips swinging as he dominated the stage. There was something about him that made people want to come close, be it the razor-sharp grin or the strange, icy blue eyes with a ring of near amber at the edges or the way that his voice dripped over the words like honey, Dipper didn’t know. But he knew that the near obsession with the band hadn’t just stemmed from his sister being their manager.

 _Oh, oh oh oh oh_  
_Oh, oh oh oh oh_  
_My little puppeteer_  
_Oh, oh oh oh oh_  
_Oh, oh oh oh oh_  
_My little puppeteer_

 _We don't need coats to dance._  
_We can take it slow,_  
_Put on a show._  
_I'll give 'em, give 'em what they want_  
_Aaa-aaaa-aaaaah_

Dipper could hear Bill’s twin brother, Will, in the background, the backup vocals actually accentuating the singer’s smokier tone with a more tenor pitch and pushing the limits of the song. Their drummer, Pyronica, or so she was called, played in a way that shouldn’t have worked with the song but it did and it did things to Dipper’s spine that he was mostly sure were his imagination. Tad, the bassist, was less obvious in the song but he was no less noticeable on stage. Radiant smile, black hair, tall stature and muscle, smooth voice that lulled people into a sense of half sleep when he talked for long periods of time, the man was a walking dream and he pulled sounds that couldn’t have been made with a bass. The lyrics started back up and Dipper mouthed along with them as he pulled his computer from its galaxy themed screensaver, wiggling the wireless mouse to his laptop a little before it responded.

 _Girl you're all the rage, so can we turn the page_  
_And tell me little somethin', little more than just your name_  
_I don't bite, but I heard you might,_  
_So let me feed your appetite._  
_Where do we go from here?_  
_Whisper what you want in my ear,_  
_My little puppeteer._

 _Oh, oh oh oh oh_  
_Oh, oh oh oh oh_  
_My little puppeteer_  
_Oh, oh oh oh oh_  
_Oh, oh oh oh oh_  
_My little puppeteer_

 _So won't you pull your body close to mine_  
_Tastes like heaven when our lips collide._  
_And I'm hooked and I'm hooked and I'm hooked and I'm hooked_  
_I'm strung out on you, baby._  
_Yeah, I don't bite, but heard you might, so let me feed your appetite..._  
_My little puppeteer_

 _Oh, oh oh oh oh_  
_Oh, oh oh oh oh_  
_My little puppeteer_  
_Oh, oh oh oh oh_  
_Oh, oh oh oh oh_  
_My little puppeteer_  
_Oh, oh oh oh oh_  
_Oh, oh oh oh oh_  
_My little puppet_  
_My little puppet_  
_My little puppeteer._

Dipper almost hit replay before he shook himself out of the stupor and opened his sister’s email, preparing himself for an onslaught of questions and ramblings. Granted, they hadn’t seen each other for three years, aside from weekly, three hour long skype conversations and daily phone calls.

It still hurt. This was the third Christmas and birthday that he received a package from Mabel instead of being able to see her face to face. They called each other on Skype and blew out a candle on a cupcake on their birthday, smiling and chatting away. It didn’t mean it hurt any less, though. This was the longest that they had physically spent apart since college, and even then, they had breaks to visit. Mabel had been so busy trying to keep Devil’s Kiss, the very band he had been singing along with not even a minute ago, on track and into the limelight that she just didn’t have time to take a break. Not that he had an excuse, either.

College had him absorbed with her and grad school had taken him to England where he studied for a year before graduating and moving back to the states. Though, he could have gone to grad school in the states, he had to get away. Mabel understood and actually encouraged him to do it; her girlfriend and his friend, Pacifica Northwest, heiress and fashion designer, had actually paid for his ticket and helped him pay off some of his college debt before he put his foot down and told them that he could pay off the rest of his loans.

Mabel let him do as he wished, though told him if he ever needed her to call immediately, no matter what. Dipper stretched, took another drink of his cooling tea, and opened Mabel’s email, having stalled long enough.

‘ _Hey Bro-Bro!!! I HAVE THE BEST NEWS FUCKING EVER!!!! So, Paz and I were talking and the guys were all for it and basically, DEVIL’S KISS IS GOING ON A TEN MONTH WORLD TOUR. IT’S INSANE AND I CANNOT BELIEVE MY LUCK!!!_ ’ Dipper almost choked on his tea at the opening, and felt his heart wrench. Ten months? He wouldn’t see Mabel for another ten months?!

“Was this was Grunkle Stan meant?” He asked Ceaser, but the cat didn’t answer him, instead continued to purr away in his lap. Dipper sighed and took another drink of his tea, figuring he may as well finish the email and then call Mabel to congratulate her and her band.

He found it a little strange that he had yet to meet them, but Mabel said the only time she got to herself was when they were practicing, sleeping, or preparing for a show and she wasn’t needed. She said she wanted him to meet them in person, that they would be easier to talk to if he didn’t have a computer screen in front of him. Dipper begged to differ but didn’t argue the point. Once Mabel had her mind set on something, it was near impossible to change it.

“ _ANYWAYS!! I ALMOST FORGOT, I CANNOT BELIEVE I ALMOST FORGOT!!! Paz said it would be a great idea for someone to cover the band, what everyone is like outside of the shows, not just what the internet forums say and the few talk shows we managed to nail. We want to boost our reputation and after three years, we have a pretty good fan base but everyone else says it would be a good idea to document the band as people, not just singers and band members. I want them to be seen as real people, Dip! SO, I came up with the brilliant idea and everything is all lined up! YOU’RE COMING WITH US ON THE TOUR. WE’LL BE IN SALEM IN A FEW HOURS AND I’LL CALL YOU WHEN WE GET THERE. I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE YOU!!! LOVE YOU A LOT BRO BRO!!’_ At the last part, Dipper did choke on his tea, almost jostling Ceaser out of her perch on his lap.

He checked the date and time and yup, it was sent about two hours ago, at eight… Which meant- He didn’t get to finish forming the thought as his phone suddenly went off and he scrambled to answer it. It was resting beside his bed on his table, playing the theme song from the X-Files, something he kept for important people, i.e his Grunkles and Mabel.

“Hello?” He asked breathlessly, sliding the answer button up on his Android.

‘ _DIPPER!!! WE’RE HERE!!! Well, we’re here as in the bus is parked in a lot that they would let us park in and I took a cab over to your apartment and the others are waiting at the bus cause Will and Bill were sleeping and Tad was making breakfast and Pyronica was makiing coffee. BUT I’m right outside your door! Buzz me up!_ ’ She immediately hung up afterwards.

Dipper thanked the stars that he was able to follow his sister’s insane talking speed after having lived with her for so many years. He pulled on the cleanest pair of jeans he had out, pulled on a grey undershirt and flannel shirt, and black jacket, slammed his feet into a pair of converse, and buzzed his sister into the apartment. She knew he was on the third floor of the six story building. He put his wallet, keys and phone into his jacket pockets and managed to get out of his bedroom when he was being tackled to the couch by a bundle of excited squeals and color.

“Mabel, can’t…. Breathe!!” He gasped, laughing as he flailed and attempted to hug his sister back. It felt so good to see her and actually hug her again, though she really was threatening to crush his ribs to dust.

“Oops, sorry.” She giggled and pulled back so they were arms length apart. Dipper took in his twin, eyes widening just a little and a fond smile coming to his face. Mabel, when they were younger, would knit almost frightening amounts. Dipper at one point worried that sheep and alpaca wouldn’t have any wool left, or the craft stores would run out before they could restock.

Mabel hadn’t changed much in that respect; she wore one of her favorite sweaters, a bright pink with a golden shooting star and green, purple and orange tail, but instead of a skirt, like he expected, she wore torn leggings underneath black shorts and pink converse. The sweater was a little tighter, showing off slight curves but Mabel had never really cared after she started dating Pacifica. Her hair was just as long and wavy, still the chocolate brown like his own, though now it was held back in a braid and there were streaks of a fading rainbow twining through it. Her smile was brighter than any star or sun and infectious, and now that her braces had been removed, her teeth were straight as a horizon line.

“I see you finally got a sense of style, or at least, a little bit of one, little brother.” Mabel smiled wider and Dipper scowled. She was less than an inch taller but the teasing was relentless, though good natured.

“Still only makes you taller than me in Canada.” He quipped back. Mabel never lost her smile, though it dimmed a bit as she took on a serious expression.

“So, did you get my email? Are you doing okay, getting enough sleep and remembering to eat and drink something other than coffee?”

“Yes, Im okay. Sleep is for the weak and of course I drink things other than coffee!”

“Are you sure about that Dip? Cause, for one, you have bags so deep they could rival the Mariana Trench and two, I’m like, ninety-eight percent sure that your body is seventy-five percent coffee.”

“At least it’s a normal drink, unlike the ungodly mixture you call Mabel Juice. Seriously, Mabel, that stuff is dangerous to your health. Do you put Smile Dip in it or something?” Dipper demanded as he picked up Ceaser, who had begun to wind herself around his legs.

“Aww, Kitty!! When did you get her, Dipper? She’s so cute!” Mabel cooed, forgetting their conversation in place of the cat. Ceaser meowed and purred even louder at getting more attention, butting her head against Mabel’s hand, eyes closing halfway as she gently began to scratch the cat’s ears.

“I’ve had her for three years, Mabel. You see her almost every time we video chat.” Dipper said with an amused huff before depositing the kitten in her arms.

“I know, but still, she’s just so cute!! Aren’t you, yes you are! Oh, it’ll be great to have a pet on the open road and be able to cuddle her-”

“Uh, Mabel? You said you’d explain that too.” Dipper said, now trying to pull his twin’s distracted concentration from Ceaser.

“Hmn? Oh, right! So, everyone agreed to the idea. It’d be really good publicity for you to submit to a few magazines, like Rolling Stones or Frost. I know you’ve had articles taken by them before, and you’re really good at it, Dip. Besides that, there’s the documentary stuff. Videotaping us as we set up for shows, catching them all when they’re relaxed and coming off the high of stage. It shows that they’re human, you know? Bill and Will were pretty poor and had to work to get anything they wanted; school, friends, music. I want to bring out Tad’s more expressional side and Pyronica’s less manic side; show people that they aren’t something unattainable. That if these four can do it, then they can do it too.”

“And what is ‘it’?” Dipper asked, trying to feign nonchalance. But his twin knew him well, and knew what buttons to push.

“Achieve dreams they never thought they would, instead of giving up on them.” She said, completely serious. She never broke eye contact. Dipper groaned, shaking his head and tried to rationalize everything before the fanboy in him came out and he jumped at the opportunity so fast, Mabel’s head would spin.

“I can’t leave my apartment. The lease isn’t fully paid-”

“Dipper, Paz said she took care of it.” She rolled her eyes as she started towards the bedroom.

“M-my things-”

“We can put them in storage.”

“Ceaser!” He felt he had at least that ace; Mabel would never allow an animal to be left in the care of some stranger, since Pacifica was mildly allergic to cats and couldn’t take her, and their Grunkles couldn’t care for a cat while out at sea, that meant he couldn’t come. He tried to ignore the part of him that was screaming at the stupidity of his rational side. Mabel rolled her eyes.

“Dipper, we have a tour bus/RV. There is plenty of room for Ceaser, her food, her kitty litter box, toys and whatever else she may need. There is space for like, half your books if Bill and Will don’t mind sharing some space with you, and Ceaser’s a cat. She doesn’t need much, aside from some cuddles and petting. So, let’s get you packed and ready to go! I’ll call Paz and she’ll send a crew to come back everything up and put it in some room at home.”

“What, Mabel!” Ten o’clock in the morning was too early to deal with this but he really didn’t put up much of a fight, either. Mabel helped him pack; taking over sorting his clothes and shoes, leaving Dipper to grab equipment, chargers, electronics, books, and Ceaser’s things. Within an hour they managed to have two duffel bags packed with his clothes, some sheets, two pillows, shoes and books, then his backpack with medication, chargers, laptop, iPod, favorite mug, three journals, two partially filled journals, pens and pencils, and his camera and video camera equipment were thankfully small so he could stuff them in with everything else. Ceaser’s cat bed, toys, food, dishes and kitty litter were boxed into a medium sized box and she was put into Mabel’s purse. The small cat didn’t even seem to mind the large bag. Instead, she meowed once and then curled up and went to sleep. Dipper would never understand that cat.

“Okay, let’s go!” It was times like this that Dipper was glad that he never bothered to buy a car. He looked around his apartment one last time before sighing and slinging his backpack over his shoulders and picking up his duffel bags. Mabel grabbed Ceaser’s things and they slowly traversed the stairs, careful not to trip or drop anything. Once outside, Mabel revealed she had called an Uber cab and asked the driver to wait. Surprisingly, the young woman had and simply bopped her head in time with the music on the radio. It was some Taylor Swift song and Dipper tried to focus on getting his things in the trunk.

“Heya Mabel!” The driver said with a grin when she finally noticed them. She hopped out and helped Dipper situate things and told Mabel to put the box up front with her and then she and Dipper could sit in the back together.

“Sorry you had to wait so long Tara.” Tara shrugged and smiled, waving away the apology as they started to drive away from the apartment Dipper had called home for the past two years.

“You paid me in advance and you’re pretty fun to be around. Plus, it’d be pretty shitty of me to leave you here, even if he is your brother.” Tara paused, looking from one sibling to the next in the mirror.

“Damn, you two really are twins.”

“Yeah, people are always a little disconcerted when we’re next to each other.” Dipper shrugged, staring out the window. He couldn’t believe he was going through with this. And it felt… Good. He began to smile as Tara and Mabel chatted away, like they were old friends. Then again, know his sister, and the small fact that she could make friends in under two minutes, he wasn’t exactly surprised.

Hell, they probably were old friends and Tara just so happened to come pick Mabel up. Dipper snorted; knowing his sister and their life, it wasn’t unlikely. The rest of the car ride washed over him as he stared into the distance, a feeling settling and coiling in his stomach. Something like apprehension, anxiety and endless excitement all rolled into a knot with his fears. But maybe it would be good, to go out into the open road, get a change of pace, and no longer have to fear seeing her.

“-per! Hey, Sir Dippin’ Dots!” Dipper blinked away the haze that had settled over his eyes and very intelligently replied,

“Huh-whu?” Mabel smirked and chuckled at her brother’s response, though she was a little worried.

“We’re here.” And with that, she got out, grabbed the box and waited for Dipper to follow.

“Here” turned out to be a large campsite area, where RV’s were common if a family wanted to camp but didn’t want the hassle of the outdoors. Dipper scrunched his nose in mild annoyance; the whole reason to camp in the first place was to experience the outdoors. Not in a car and have the outdoors in small doses. Mabel caught his annoyed expression and laughed.

“You haven’t changed, bro-bro. That’s a good thing.” Dipper tried to keep his annoyed face on but it quickly melted with his sister’s infectious laugh. Soon as he hefted the bags from the trunk, duffel in either hand and backpack hanging off his shoulders, Dipper found himself laughing along with her. Tara waved good-bye as she shut the trunk and then drove off, honking once or twice.

“So, how far do we have to travel?” Dipper asked, adopting his best ‘adventurer voice’, smiling as Mabel played along.

“Not far, Sir Dippin’ Dots, of that I can be certain. Tis no more than a small river to cross and three miles of uncharted forest. Then our quest will finally be at an end.” Dipper immediately translated that to a small bridge not too far from the entrance of the park, where the campsites began not far after, and then maybe thirty feet of walking till they reached the bus/RV.

“Then let us go forth, my brave travel companion!” Dipper cried as he surged forward, Mabel close behind. They trekked rather quickly across the compact dirt road, each twin carrying a bag; Mabel her purse, and by default, Ceaser, the box with Ceaser’s things, and the smaller duffel as Dipper carted his backpack and the larger duffel.

“I hope they’re not too mad at me for leaving so suddenly,” Mabel muttered as they crossed the bridge.

“What do you mean?” Dipper asked as he grabbed the second duffel from Mabel as she shifted her grip for the sixth time in four minutes. The wind was picking up and he was honestly more than a little surprised at how fast the snow had melted this year. It was cold more often than not but this winter had been relatively dry, snow-wise. Though, that was probably why the park stayed open so long, or had opened so soon.

“Well, I may have just left a note saying I was going to pick you up and gave it to Tad who was barely awake…”

“Mabel, you said that they were awake!” Dipper demanded, rolling his eyes. He loved his sister, he truly did, but sometimes she rushed into things without thinking and it worried him, honestly.

“I gave Tad a note! Honestly, he’s the sanest out of all of them and he’s the least likely to worry if you give a reason for leaving… Then again…” she suddenly paled and started to speed walk.

“Hey, Mabel!” Dipper called, jogging to catch up with her and easily keeping pace. “What gives?”

“I am going to get such an ear full… Shitshitshitshitshitshit….” She didn’t seem to hear him, a slightly horrified look on her paling face. Dipper’s eyebrows raised at this but Mabel wasn’t responding so there was nothing that would pull her from this stupor. Well, there were actaully several things he could do but he needed his arms to be free for that and he could see the RV/bus coming up.

It was a strange hybrid of tour bus and RV, it seemed; it was shaped like a tour bus, a long metal cylinder that was a dull grey-black with blue, yellow, purple and red-pink accents along the body but it wasn’t as narrow. It was slightly wider and a bit stubby, to be honest, more like a large rectangle than a narrow strip. The door was open and a tall man, maybe six foot two, stood in the doorway, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. He wore tight black jeans, a loose purple shirt and a thick hoodie that was a grey-blue. His hair was a shocking purple and his eyes were narrowed as his black boot tapped incessantly against the metal steps. It took Dipper a moment to realize that this was Tad Strange, the bassist for Devil’s Kiss. He swallowed a high pitched squeal and tried to contain his happiness.

“And where were you this time?” Tad asked, soothing voice pitched in mild anger and worry. Mabel laughed nervously and shrugged.

“I gave you a note! I told you guys that I would be picking up Dipper, this is him by the way, yesterday! And the day before that!”

“Yes, and we said to wait for us so we could all go. That, and I don’t really trust you to not get lost in the middle of the city or end up eating with some random guy as you networked, or end up buying twenty rainbow cupcakes-”

“There’s no need to be so over dramatic!” Mabel protested as they moved inside, Tad climbing the stairs. He looked over his shoulder, tan skin reflecting in the brighter light, and smirked.

“I’m not being overdramatic, Shooting Star. I’m remembering. Big difference.” He nodded to Dipper and grabbed the heavier duffel bag like it were a pillow and carried it down the hall. “Hello, I’m Tad Strange and-”

“You’re a total bread husband and mother hen, that’s what you are.” Mabel grumbled and Tad laughed. Dipper tried to keep his jaw from dropping as he struggled to keep from fangasming, asking a million questions and just watching as the pair interacted.

“Well, yes. But I’m a mother hen because of you all. But, what I was going to say is I’m the bassist and probably the most sane one of these maniacs.” Dipper nodded, the other duffel bag falling with a thump to the ground as he stood at the top of the stairs. The inside was huge, at least by bus standards. There was a small door that lead to the driver’s area, but it was closed off. There was a kitchenette with a sink, counter, half fridge and possible freezer, microwave, four cabinets and lights. That lead to the hall, where there was a couch that formed a half circle, a table in the center.

On the other side was a couch with blankets and books. Above that were built in shelves with clear, plexi-glass cases over top that latched over lips to keep books from falling out. There were six or seven shelves if Dipper’s eyes weren’t deceiving him… Then there were the bunkbeds that were curtained off, four on either side of the hallway. In between each set of two, going vertically, were handles, that Dipper assumed lead to shelves. In the way back were more couches, a bathroom to the side of that, and a long closet at the top of the couches. There were windows everywhere and curtains that were currently letting in every ounce of light. Mabel put the box of Ceaser’s things on the kitchen table and Tad knocked on the wodd by the bunks, dropping Dipper’s duffel on one of the bunks in the back.

Suddenly, three heads popped out from the curtains and three bodies were scrambling to get out. A woman who wore leggings and shorts like Mabel, only her’s were blood red, and a black shirt that hugged her like skin, and offset her pale skin. Her hair was a short pixie cut and aggressively hot pink and her eyes narrowed but she smiled and hugged Mabel tight. Bright, pastel blue hair appeared next and the man pushed black-rimmed glasses up his nose as he smiled at Mabel and Dipper.

He wore a blue sweater, grey jeans and black socks with golden triangles on them. He had tan skin and bright blue-amber eyes that shined in the lighting and he was tall, maybe a few inches taller than Dipper, at five foot eleven. The last man was identical to the other in almost every way, except he wore a rich red jacket with yellow stitching, tight black pants, and a thin white shirt. His hair was golden-blonde, partially shaved on one side, though it was growing back and stuck up in every possible direction like he had stuck his head into a wind tunnel. His blue-amber eyes glinted like a cat that was about to catch its prey and his grin was sharp and mischievous like he knew something you didn’t.

“Shooting Star! We were worried!” Bill said, laughing as Mabel struggled to get out of Pyronica’s grip.

“Pyronica! Vicky! Victoria! Let me go, you’re gonna crush her!” Mabel squirmed and the drummer let the slightly smaller woman go.

“Crush who?” Will asked, venturing closer.

“Ceaser!” Dipper suddenly yelped, running to his sister’s side, bags forgotten in the fore hall, and he plunged his arms into the purse, almost elbow deep, before he reached the bottom and found the small cat, and gently pulled her out. Aside from being a little ruffled and dazed, the cat looked unharmed. She mewed in confusion before batting at Dipper’s arms as he cradled her. Bill, Will, Pyronica and Tad all came closer before Will reached out and asked,

“May I?” Dipper nodded, letting the cat go to the other man. She started purring as he rubbed her neck, soothing her velvety black fur.

“Bill, look! It’s a cat!!” Will’s face was stretched so wide in a smile it was a little disturbing.

“Aww, whose the cutest little fluffball of world domination?” The other twin cooed, coming closer and bending slightly so his face was near Ceaser’s the cat blinked at him and meowed, before reaching out a paw and bopping his nose. Bill squealed and grabbed Ceaser from his twin, cuddling her close.

“Sheisthefuckingcutestthinginexistence!” He said all at once, eyes shining. Even as he was cuddling the cat, practically cooing over Ceaser, Bill managed to look like he was going to pounce. It was a little disconcerting. Dipper coughed and awkwardly shuffled his feet.

“So, Mabel, whose the guy? Are you sure Paz won’t mind you cheating on her with him?” Will asked as he eyed Dipper, looking him over. The twins shared a look and while Mabel broke out laughing, practically doubling over, Dipper tried not to gag.

“Oh god no! She’s my twin!” Bill looked over his shoulder at the pair, sizing up Dipper and then he smirked. Dipper tried to ignore the way his stomach jolted.

“Well, you never know. There’s some freaky shit out there, Pine Tree.”

“Pine Tree?” Dipper asked, momentarily distracted by the sudden monkier to be properly horrified.

“Your last name is Pines, if you're Shooting Star’s twin, and you have a pine tree patch on your hoodie.” The man shrugged and grinned, eyes getting a spark.

“Do you burn like pine, too?”

“Bill, try not to scare off the newest member.” Tad scolded, saving Dipper from responding. He wasn’t entirely sure what to make of the man and he’d only been there five minutes…

“So, why did you bring your brother, Mabel?” Will asked as he went to the kitchen to grab breakfast.

“I told you guys! We’re doing to tour, so I decided it would be a good idea to get publicity or more than we have. Besides, Dipper can show your real sides, the ones that make you more than rising stars.” There was a strange expression flickering over Bill’s face but Dipper couldn’t place it. The singer smiled at Dipper, though it was a little faker than the previous one.

“Welcome to the road, Pine Tree.” And with that, he walked away, still carrying Ceaser.

“Well, come on. I’m the only one who's eaten, and you all know it. Bill, put Ceaser down and get some food. Will, make sure he eats. Pyronica, don’t set the new kid on fire, please. I really don’t want to have to smell burned hair…”

“Hey, it was one time!” The woman protested and followed Tad further into the bus. Mabel clapped him on the shoulder before she dashed to Bill, who was attempting to get a piece of toast out of the toaster with a metal fork.

“Bill, what did I say that last time you did that?!”

“Aww, but the pain was hilarious! And my hair stuck up like I was electrocuted!”

“That’s because you were electrocuted!” Mabel snapped, and Dipper stared at the scene unfolding in mild horror. What had he gotten himself into?

“Hmn, here. Let me help.” Will put down his spoon and called to Bill, “Don’t eat my cereal again!” Before he turned to Dipper with a smile.

“I have a feeling you already know our names, but I’m Will and my insane twin is Bill. It’s nice to meet you, Dipper.” Dipper smiled and shook the man’s hand. There was a sudden, sharp electric shock that ran between them and Will smiled, a little more evil, as Dipper jumped back, holding his tingling hand.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” He laughed, showing the buzzer he held between his fingers as Dipper shook out his fingers. “But seriously, welcome aboard, Dipper. There is nothing but insanity from this point onwards. Let me help you with your bags. I’m pretty sure that Tad already gave you a bunk, but you can pick another one if you don’t like it.” Will grabbed his duffel and waited for Dipper to grab his backpack before leading him to the bunk beds, pointing out each one as they passed.

“This one is Pyronica’s,” he pointed to the bed on the top left, closest to the couch with a pink curtain. “That one is Tad’s, across from Pyronica, and Mabel is under her.” He pointed to the upper bunk on the right with a purple curtain and Mabel’s was, of course, knitted.

“Under Tad is our driver, Teeth, but he's out at the moment with Xanthar and Amamorphous. They travel with us in the car while we're in the states and help us set up for the shows. You'll meet them later." There was a cream-white curtain over his bunk. “This one is mine, and the one below is Bill’s.” He gestured to the bunks on the right, upper and lower, respectively. There was a dark blue curtain over Will’s bed and a gold-yellow curtain over Bill’s. “And then there are two beds that are free for you, either upper or lower.” There were two black curtains but his duffel bag was sticking out from the lower bunk.

“I think I’ll stick with the lower bunk.” Dipper said after a minute, suddenly very tired. He yawned so wide, his jaw cracked. Will looked at him sympathetically and patted his shoulder.

“There are cabinets beside your bed on either side that you can use to store your stuff. Everyone gets two, and each one has like, three shelves. We all just store our bags in the closet over the couch or under the bus with all the equipment. When you finish unpacking, just leave your bags out in the hall and we’ll put them away for you.” Dipper nodded and yawned again.

“Thank you.” He said with a smile and Will chuckled.

“You’re welcome, though you’ll need the rest, trust me. Need any help?”

“Well, I do have a lot of books…” Will’s eyes went bright with curiosity at the mention and he smiled wider.

“Leave them on the couch; Bill, Tad and I can make some room for them.” Dipper nodded his gratitude and set to work unpacking his things. Will stood there for a minute before he decided to help. He and Dipper made idle conversation as Bill, Mabel and Tad argued in the background over the proper way to make toast. Pyronica ignored all of them and was nowhere to be seen.

“How did Mabel become your manager?” Dipper asked as he put away the last of his shirts. The shelves weren’t very wide, no more than a foot in width, but they were very deep and he had not trouble storing his shirts, pants, socks, shoes, underwear and extra sheets. For good measure, he put his camera and video equipment, and his chargers for his various electronics, in the free spaces he could find in the shelf. Will wriggled out from his bed, having just finished making it for Dipper, and answered,

“Well, it was Mabel who met Bill, Tad and I in college. We were interested in starting a band but never really took it very far, outside of just screwing around. We stayed friends and after we met Pyronica and started practicing as a group, and did a whole bunch of shows in really questionable venues, like church basements or rundown clubs, we gained enough traction to start climbing. Mabel started being our manager in college but it became an official title when we gained enough of a fanbase to start recording. Do you have any blankets?”

Dipper shook his head and Will went to the closet in the very back as Dipper went to grab Ceaser’s bed, putting it in the corner of his bunk. Mabel, he assumed, had already pulled everything out and placed it in obvious areas but also out of the way for everyone else. He also noticed how his backpack was now sitting at the kitchen table, empty, but he would ask Mabel where she put everything after he got some sleep. He was surprised at the amount of space his bunk had, and how comfortable the mattress was. He noticed he had a light in his bunk as well, over his head, that he turned on, and more shelves on the side.

‘ _I can keep my computer and journals and maybe even my other supplies in there without worrying about them getting crushed… Maybe I’ll leave my camera equipment with my clothes and shit…_ ’ His thoughts were interrupted when a sudden voice said,

“Oi, Pine Tree!” And the curtain was slid to the side, revealing Bill and Will, the latter who had warm, thick blankets in his arms. They looked like they were either fleece or knitted and looked like a rainbow had thrown up in Will's arms; they were bright green, yellow and blue but Dipper couldn't care, so long as they were warm. Bill held Ceaser.

“Ah, there you are. Will managed to find you some blankets and your sister put your meds and mug in the cabinet next to the sink. Need any?” Dipper shook his head and Bill nodded before he gently tossed Ceaser onto the bed. The cat meowed in protest but Bill rolled his eyes.

“Furball, I like my clothes hair free, for the most part.” Will pushed his twin to one side as he started to pile on all three very warm blankets and Dipper yawned as Ceaser curled in her bed, turning her back to the humans in the space.

“Do you want to change or anything?” Bill asked, personality taking a complete 360 from his earlier mood. His voice was also lower, soothing. Dipper thought for a minute before he shrugged off his hoodie and squirmed a bit to get his arms free before he took out his phone, wallet and keys and put them in the shelf. He then wriggled out of his jeans and decided to sleep in his boxers, too tired to get his pajamas from the shelves. His body was finally shutting down, now that all the excitement had worn off. Well, there was arguing between Tad and Mabel about something to do with unicorns and Pyronica was threatening to light something on fire but Dipper was too tired to register the conversation. Bill smiled, a small, genuine thing, and he said, quietly, teasing,

“At least buy me dinner first.” Dipper rolled his eyes and snorted at the man’s comment.

“Sure, but I doubt you’d make it out the door.”

“Oh-ho, someone’s confident.”

“No, I doubt you’d make it out the door since all the groupie’s would flock you the minute you stepped foot outside.” Not his best comeback but he was too tired to care. Bill stared at him for a minute before he started to laugh, first soft, then a low cackle.

“Oh, that’s good Pine Tree. Get some sleep, you look like the least sexy vampire in existence.”

“Ha, you think I'm sexy?” he asked, too tired to fanspasm or register what he was saying. As Mabel would say, he was sleep drunk.

“No, I think you’re the _least sexy_ vampire in existence. There’s a difference. I never said how hot you were as a human.”

“You still think I’m hot. Now who has to buy whom dinner?” Dipper giggled, a little too out of it to be mortified. Bill smirked and took Dipper’s jeans, folding them into a triangle, then repeating the process with his hoodie, and tucking them under an arm before he flicked off the light in the bunk and then in the short stretch of hall.

“Go to sleep, Dipper.” Dipper rolled his eyes but settled into his new bed. Just before he fully gave in to sleep, he heard Mabel grilling Bill in how he got Dipper to open so fast, since he never did that with people, least of all people he felt a little awe struck by. He faintly heard Bill say,

“Shooting Star, how can he be a shut in, like you said? The guy has a tongue in him that would put mine to shame.”

“Oh god, Bill! Too much info! At least get to know him before you fuck him!”

“Please don’t fuck him in the bus; it would reek for weeks.” That sounded like Tad.

“If you fuck him in the bus, I swear I am going to punch you.” Pyronica?

“This is Bill; he’s classy enough to at least get to know Dipper first, let’s be real.” Will. “Then he’d screw Dipper in the bus.” Bill just started laughing, making choked sounds as he struggled to keep it down. Dipper’s last thoughts before he finally gave into the black that was tugging his eye lids down,

 _‘What have I gotten myself into?_ ’ Before he finally gave in to sleep and the bus lurched to a start. They were on their way.


	2. Sanity has always been Relative and Complacency is Boring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First show! Stan and Ford make a surprise visit afterwards and Dipper and Bill get to know one another better as they stay up a little too late in the night. Bill’s not as bad as he seems, Dipper and him bond over books, nightmares, play a question game, and how the coffee is always gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIVE!!!!!!!! Okay, Im so sorry for the long ass hitaus, but to be fair, I was doing finals for college, moving back home, and then staying in the hospital for a few days cause of a fever, and then I got stuck on what to write... BUT IM BACK!!! And now that it's summer, I can actually update on a semi-regular basis, so expect chapters more regularly. Also, remember, comments make me update faster and kudos make me smile. So, thank you to everyone whose bookmarked, commented and left me kudos, it makes me so happy that you guys are loving this AU as much as I am. The songs in this chapter that I use the lyrics of are "Truth, Dare" by Marianas Trench, ‘From Now On We’re Enemies” by Fall Out Boy, “Puppeter” by Max Schneider, “Soul for Sale” by Simon Curtis and “Discord” by Eurobeat Brony/Living Tombstone Lyrics. ALSO AS A TRIGGER WARNING: There is mention of relationship abuse from Wendy to Dipper, but it's not too graphic. BUT there will be more triggers in later chapters; I will put the trigger warnings in the notes when there is going to be possible triggers, just so you can skip over it if you feel the need. I will sum up what happened at the end notes if you feel the need to skip over those parts.  
> Now, on with the story.  
> WAIT, I lied!  
> DISCLAIMER!!!! I OWN NOTHING, aside from this plot and any OCs, ALL GRAVITY FALLS CHARACTERS BELONG TO ALEX HIRSCH AND ALL SONGS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. I OWN NOTHING.  
> Okay, NOW on with the story!  
> I hope you enjoy!
> 
> -RR

There was nothing but noise and Dipper was more than a little bit lost, even with Mabel guiding him to the band’s dressing room. Roadies were moving like a well oiled machine, setting up cables, talking into walkies and radios, all while a sound check was going on in the massive stadium, and there was no A/C, due to the heavy, freezing rain outside, even if it was San Diego. So, inside it was warm and backstage it was almost unbearable with the constant stream of bodies and restricted air flow. In his slightly sweating hands Dipper clutched his video camera, recording his twin as she walked backwards, expertly weaving her way around obstacles like she had eyes in the back of her head.

“And then after this, we have another show in LA, then down to Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming. We’re really jamming in the states because it’s the easiest section to do, really.” Mabel laughed as Dipper asked,

“Care to explain what the sections are, Mabes?”

“Sure!” She grinned wide, jumping over a section of thick cables, marked up with various tape colors. Dipper was a little less graceful, tripping over his own shoelaces before someone caught his arm. He looked up and was met with Will’s concerned stare. His glasses were gone, replaced with contacts, and he wore no shirt. His jeans were almost like skin, with two belts wrapped around his hips with silver spikes, tall dark blue boots laced up his shins and a necklace around his neck. He smiled wide, that same disturbing, too wide smile from the first day Dipper had met the man a week ago.

“Heya Pine Tree! What are you and Mabel doing out here with the guys?”

“What are you doing without a shirt?” Mabel fired back as she stepped up to the man. Will looked down, as if just noticing that he was indeed shirtless and blushed a bright red.

“Oh crap, I must have not put it on! I was in a rush to find you and Dipper and-” Dipper passed his camera to Mabel, who fumbled with it for a minute before she got a good grip on the small device.

“Don’t drop that, please!” Dipper said as he unzipped his green ratty hoodie. Mabel called him a jacket whore; he kept jackets, hoodies, and coats well after they had passed the point of saving. He would deny it every time but he never threw out his coats, jackets, or hoodies unless they were irreparable. This one was a little baggy on him but on a six foot Will it fit like it was made for him.

“Thanks, Dipper.” Will said, smile smaller, more genuine, and less disturbing, now. Dipper shrugged, now noticing the cold without his hoodie. His red flannel did a pretty good job of keeping him warm but with a thin undershirt and apparently standing by a draft, he was hopeless. His jeans were skinny though, so they would help keep some warmth in, and he wore thick socks with his converse, and while it made walking a little awkward, it wasn’t too bad. Will ran a hand through his pastel blue hair and sighed before turning to Mabel.

“You never answered my question, Mabel.”

“Oh, right. Well, Dipper wanted to get some footage of the behind the scenes of the show, or our first one anyways, and since he would have gotten lost, I decided to come with him.” Mabel wore her lucky hoodie, as she called it, with a pair of wings on the back and the color had once been a vibrant pink had faded to a more muted rose. Her jeans were like Dipper’s but her shirt was warmer, and longer, reaching the tops of her things. The light grey fabric was either self-regulating in temperature or Mabel’s “alpha twin powers” (at least as she called them) were active and she wasn’t feeling the extreme differences in temperature. Dipper shivered again and Will gave him a worried look before he took him by the elbow, then linking arms with both twins and started to walk.

“Well, come on then! Let’s go and meet the band!” Dipper was a little surprised at the heat radiating off Will, though it didn’t compare to Bill. The few times he and Bill were sitting next to each other on the couches or at the table, their respective twins usually between the two, Bill was like a mini sun while Will was more like a furnace, or a bon fire. He radiated a lot of heat but Bill was like the desert. Apparently, Pyronica was even hotter and Tad told Dipper that,

“She’s hot enough you could swear she’s seconds from combusting. Bill swears he could cook eggs on her.” Dipper couldn’t tell if Tad was joking or not, and when he asked, Pyronica said,

“There’s a reason we only have four members now.” Dipper shuddered at the memory and tried to ignore the fact that the people he was now working with were all possibly certifiably insane.

“Hey, Pine Tree, you in there?” Will asked, drawing Dipper from his thoughts.

“Hmn, oh yeah. What’s up?”

“You’ve been staring into space forever, bro-bro. You feeling okay?” Mabel asked from the other side of Will. Dipper nodded and shrugged.

“Just thinking.”

“Hmn, well don’t think too hard. Hate to have your brain fry on us, and then have to serve it for breakfast.” A sudden voice behind him made Dipper jump, pulling on Will’s arm as he attempted to turn around.

“Jeez, relax kid!” Bill said with a smile, eyes laughing as he watched the smaller man.

“I’m twenty-five Bill.” Dipper snorted, rolling his eyes as Will released him. “If anyone is a child, it would be you. Either that, or plain psychotic.”

“Your point?” Bill asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I-”

“Don’t have one, glad we cleared that one up. I never said I was sane, either, did I, pine tree? And besides, I’m twenty-seven, so I’m not a child either.” He chuckled, shaking his head.

Dipper fumed for a minute, glaring at the slightly taller man in front of him as he laughed. Well, he tried to glare. It really didn’t help that he looked drool-worthy. Tight black pants that hugged his every muscle, and framed his ass so well, and like Will, had belts crossing his hips, though his were studded with gold spikes. Tall, dull gold boots that were laced like combat boots up to the top of his shin, belts on the sides and zippers zig-zagging underneath, a yellow shirt that was cut at the elbows, loose at the neck to show his collar bones, and a hint of ink at his shoulders and back. Around his neck was an identical triangle to Will’s, but in gold instead of silver. His eyes were accented with red-black and gold, smoky and making his eyelids look hooded, with thin lines of eyeliner making them appear darker, making his already strange and wonderful eyes pop out even more. Dipper glared harder, which made Bill laugh louder, making him almost double over.

“Come on, we don’t have much time and Will needs to finish getting dressed.” Mabel said, going from the easy, loveable twin to a serious-faced, scowling boss. Bill managed to stop laughing and nodded, throwing an arm around Will’s neck and pulling his twin in close.

“Come on Will, let’s go get you pretty!” Will rolled his eyes as Mabel grabbed Dipper’s hand and followed the duo. As they passed a group of roadies and a fire marshall, Dipper heard,

“Well, it’s been cleared and my check over of the stadium means it’s okay as long as you keep it under forty feet-” But they passed before Dipper could get the rest of the conversation.

“Uh, Mabel…”

“Don’t worry about it Bro. First show has to go out with a bang.” She winked and Will and Bill looked at them over their shoulders, identical too innocent smiles on their faces. In that moment, Dipper fully understood the creepy factor that he and Mabel could give off. Though, the Cipher Twins seemed to do it a bit better, and had extra points for being downright disturbing. They shared a look and broke out laughing before Will opened a door and lead the group inside.

“Ah, there you guys are! We were starting to worry. Mabel, the Marshall was looking for you. And, these came for you, Dipper.” There were a bunch of roses, copper red, on the dressing room table. A small white card with a blood red kiss mark over the message in thick letters- **FOR:**   **Dipper XO W.**

 _She_ _was_ _here. She had been here. She knew where he was_. His heart froze in his chest and he suddenly couldn’t breathe. Mabel, however, noticed and quickly grabbed the bouquet before throwing them out the window, screaming,

“DIE!! DIE!!!” And it was only when Dipper heard the window slam shut and felt warm, safe arms around him that he could breathe again.

“Mabel, what was that about?” He heard someone ask softly, so not to spook him.

“You okay there, Dipper?” He heard a rumble in someone’s chest, the one he was currently pressed against. It then registered to him how warm the chest was, how he was practically melting as he stood there and he loved it.

“Yeah... It’s nothing Bill…” If he wasn’t so close to a panic attack, he would have freaked out over the close contact. But at the moment, any contact was good, so long as it kept him safe, kept him hidden, kept him stable. He was gently tugged towards something and he realized belatedly it was a worn couch, the fabric a dull grey-blue. It was soft though, and Bill didn’t let him go. Faintly, he heard Mabel saying,

“Just… Some bad shit, triggers. No one is allowed to leave gifts, okay? We don’t need Bill almost getting roofied again or fucking Gideon coming back around. Any and all gifts are to be cleared by Anamorphous, Xanthar and or Teeth, and they have to check in with me before they bring them to us, got that?” A soft chorus of “Yes Boss” followed and Dipper managed to come back to himself, his unraveling halting for the moment.

“Dipper?” He heard Bill ask softly. This was so different from the childish, asshole and psychotic sides he saw of Bill on a regular basis.

He knew Bill could be kind, but he had never really seen it except for when he least expected it, or when it was most needed. Will slicing the back of his hand on a knife? Bill was there first with a worried frown and quick words to make Will forget. Tad was feeling down, too quiet for anyone’s taste? Bill was dragging him out of the bus and making him walk around town. They didn’t come back until later that night but Tad was smiling and Bill looked less tense. Pyronica was angry? Bill calmed her down, distracting her easily and pulling her mind away from the obvious and pulled an impromtu nail painting party. Everyone, including Dipper, had been dragged into it; Mabel painted Will’s nails, Bill did Dippers, Tad was painted by Will, Tad painted Pyronica’s and Pyronica painted Mabel’s. All the while, Bill and Will were cracking jokes that made everyone shake with laughter and Dipper still had the dark green polish on one hand.

“Y-yeah, I’m okay.”

“You sure?”

Dipper was forever grateful Bill didn’t ask why the flowers triggered the almost attack and simply nodded, taking several deep breaths. He noticed for the first time that Bill was holding him in a way that if he wanted to, he could stand up on his own, but he was also pressed close to his chest, listening to his thundering heartbeat. He could feel the steady rise and fall of Bill’s chest, the exaggerated breaths he was taking, forcing Dipper listen as he subconsciously breathed with him, finding the rhythm soothing. He also felt safe, protected, and Dipper didn’t question it. He was just glad someone was able to stop him before he started to spiral. Bill slowly released him, holding onto his shoulders, smoky eyes searching his for any tell of a lie before he nodded and let Dipper go.

“Here, this should help.” Pyronica said with a small smile, voice gentle in a way Dipper had never heard from the woman. She handed him a water bottle, unopened, condensation sliding off the sides. He cracked it open and drank slowly, the water refreshing and helping to clear out his head even more. Tad silently handed him toast with nothing on it and Dipper nodded his gratitude. The other man smiled in response.

Dipper took in what he and Pyronica were wearing, a little confused at the continuing theme. Tad’s hair was thick, so it was easy to style but instead of sexy bed head, like Bill or Will, he simply combed it so it stayed in one place. He wore tight grey pants, tall laced black boots, and a purple shirt, though his was cut so it showed some of his left side and abs, not to mention a hint of his ink. His nails were a bright purple, and his bright, bright green eyes popped from a smoky grey-purple around his eyelids and eyeliner.

Pyronica wore a pale pink, long sleeved shirt that had slice at the shoulder, sides and arms with small black spikes at the shoulders. Her pixie cut was ruffled up at the front and smoothed back everywhere else. She wore boots that laced up to her ankles but had no tread, unlike the other’s combat style boots. Her’s were flat with a little tread, Dipper guessed so she didn’t have to pick up too much weight and strain her ankles. She wore dark red jeans and a pair of sticks stuck out of her pocket, grey-blue eyes outlined and popping with pink-red eye shadow and black eyeliner. Will handed him back his hoodie, folded into another triangle, with a smile. He now wore a shirt similar to Bill’s, though his sleeves were long and it was a rich blue instead, and his back plunged more between his shoulder blades, showing off his tattoo. It was a zodiac wheel but Dipper couldn’t see all of it.

“You doing okay, there, Dipper?” Mabel was watching him carefully, pulling him back to the present moment. He took another drink so to try and stall before he said softly,

“I just want to be left alone, you know?” Mabel frowned before she hugged Dipper close, almost crushing him. He returned it with equal fervor.

Slowly, they pulled apart, Mabel giving him a look that promised that they were going to talk later. Dipper nodded, sighing, but didn’t argue. Bill dragged Will over to the chair by the dressing table, a makeup case open with different products spilling out of it like it had been gutted. Pyronica snatched up aggressively red lipstick and started to apply it, smacking her lips together before she pressed a kiss to Tad’s cheek, giggling as he tried to wipe it away.

“Must you, really?”

“Of course! If it had been purple, you would have kept it.” She rolled her eyes like it was obvious and Dipper couldn’t help it; he giggled. Pyronica flashed him a smile and said,

“See, Pine Tree thinks it’s funny. And we all know funny is a good look on you.”

“Hilarious.” Tad drawled, tone bland, but his eyes were sparking in amusement and he succeeded in wiping away the rest of the lipstick, though his cheek was a little raw from his scrubbing. Dipper turned his attention to the twins, as Will was squirming as Bill applied eyeshadow.

“Oh, don’t be such a pansy! You’re fine.” Bill muttered as Will whined when Bill accidentally glanced too close with the brush and almost got his actual eye. Bill rolled his eyes but grabbed his chin and tilted it upwards as he began to line the edges of his twins eyelids with liner. Dipper watched, fascinated, as his hand never shook, tongue peeking out in concentration. Finally, Bill released his twin and smirked, capping the pen and saying,

“See? That wasn’t so bad, now was it?”

Will grumbled and stood, shaking his head. “Bill, everything with you is almost a near death experience.”

“Aww, I love you too bro!” And with that, Bill tackle hugged his twin to the couch, landing just shy of Dipper and mussing with his twins’ hair.

“Ack!! Dipper, please help me!!” Said man was scooting away from the wrestling pair, perching on the arm, feet firmly planted on the cushion as he watched Bill pin Will and mess up his hair.

“There’s no escape for you, Will!” Bill laughed and Will growled before Dipper decided to be bold, and trying to push away the lingering anxiety, and reached over to Bill and began to ruffle up his hair. He started laughing as the taller man paused, Will laughing. Suddenly, Will was rolling away and Dipper was being pulled into Bill’s arms before he was trapped, the man’s arms winding around him.

“Thought you could escape, eh, Pine Tree?” He breathed into his ear and Dipper tried not to shudder. At Bill’s smirk he knew he failed. Before anything else could happen, Mabel was pulling Dipper out of Bill’s grip and thrusting something into the singer’s hands.

“You forgot your earrings in the bus; you’re lucky Teeth was there and texted me that he had them.” Bill smiled wide and took the small baggy, tossing Will a second one.

“You forgot yours too, Will.” His twin smiled and shrugged, before he was putting in silver loops. Both twins had both ears pierced and in the same places, though Will’s were silver and Bill’s were gold. Three small loops from the side, at the outermost part of the ear, then two spherical studs and a triangle at the lowest part. Dipper tried to ignore his stomach tying in knots, chalking it up to the fact that he was internally fangirling and idolizing the group still, though he saw them as mostly strange, slightly deranged individuals who cared a great deal about each other, that wasn’t exactly going to dull out three years of near obsessive love of the group and their music, though he wasn’t nearly as bad as the groupies, or so he’d heard.

A knock on the door was the only warning they were given before a young woman with a headset popped her head in and said,

“The Maniacs are almost done their set. You need to be ready to get on stage in five minutes.” Mabel nodded and Bill smirked, running his hand through his hair again, mussing the already frazzled out hair.

“Well, are we ready?” Will and Tad grinned, stuffing their pockets with picks as Pyronica grabbed two more pairs of drumsticks, a wicked smirk on her face.

“Well then let’s go and blow the roof off this place!” Bill yelled and the trio shouted in response, pre-show adrenaline rising as the excitement rose. Mabel smiled and looped her arm with Dipper’s and lead him away, following the group as they went through a strange arm up. Bill closed his eyes, nodding his head to some rhythm, known only to him, as Will started to bounce on his toes, picking up his guitar on the way. It was a pastel blue, like his hair, but with golden triangles along the neck, in between frets. He began to tune, strumming and nodding to himself, still bouncing in place as Tad picked up his own guitar, a rich purple with black smoke on the back and swirling around the edges.

He picked out basic chords before he dug into a pocket and stuck a pick between his teeth, the broader edge clamped firmly between his teeth before he took it back out and somehow managed to roll it between his fingers. Pyronica tapped her heel, arms loose before she lifted them and began to lightly stretch, muttering the lyrics of songs under her breath. They were near the edge now, they could hear the screams and feel the music shaking the stage. They could smell the sweat, cologne, and perfume as it climbed, creating a haze over the stadium. Bill suddenly grinned and opened his eyes, a wild look appearing. He grabbed the back of Will’s neck and knocked their foreheads together as they murmured in stereo,

“Felix stamus vivere felix.” Dipper quickly translated it to “for luck we stand, for luck we live”.

“You guys know latin?” Dipper asked before he could stop himself. Bill opened his eyes, a dangerous, wild look in them now. Slowly, his fingers unwound from Will’s neck and his twin straightened, a dazed look coming over him before he shook his head and smiled. It was a little too wide, but not the unsettling smile they gave to people to throw them off. This one was truly disturbing; a little too close to the edge of insanity and sanity. Dipper held his ground, but he couldn’t help the slight hitch in his breath, the way his stomach was tying itself in knots out of anticipation. For what, he had no idea. Bill leaned down a little so he could stare Dipper in the eyes and leaned in close, making Dipper go cross eyed.

“Course we do, Pine Tree. What fun is it if everyone speaks the same language?”

“Bill was a classics and linguistics major, I was a classics and philosophy major. Tad did business and psychology, Pyronica was music. And Mabel is business, fine arts, and management.” Will rattled off, that too wide grin still in place.

“THANK YOU!! We warmed you guys up for them, but I hope you can still scream! Give it up for DEVIL’S KISS!!”

“And that’s our cue. Let’s go.” Tad said, pulling Bill away from Dipper, though the blonde winked and something unreadable flashed across his face before he was gone and Dipper was left with an amused twin.

“You like him.” Mabel sang, watching her twin as he blushed furiously. Mabel’s eyes widened and Dipper shook his head vehemently.

“Nonononononono!!! Not after last time, Mabes. Not after… the whole fiasco with her.” The recent flower incident, which had occurred not even ten minutes ago, was already being shelved and repressed, pushing into the furthest corners of his mind he could reach.

“Wendy…” Mabel said softly, the sound almost lost in the roar of the crowd as Bill sauntered on stage, Will, Tad and Pyronica taking their places. Mabel’s phone went off before she could say anything else and Dipper shrugged off her attempt at comforting him, her hand falling to her side and a frown coming to her face. She sighed and looked at the screen, eyes going a little wide.

“We’re not done with this conversation,” she stated, punctuating the stern remark by jabbing a finger at his chest with each word, eyes narrowed in worry and annoyance at being interrupted.

“Hey, Paz! I have to get outside, so give me a minute!” she chirped into the phone as she answered the call, throwing one last look at her twin just as Bill shouted,

“HELL-OH SAN DIEGO!!” the answering scream made Dipper want to cover his ears. He was almost sure it was supersonic. Groupies were a force to be reckoned with, he decided in that moment. Granted, he was one of them, but still. He wasn’t rabid. He watched, leaning against a sturdy metal pole that lead up to the lighting, as Bill threw his head back and laughed, cast in too bright golden-yellow light. Will was to his left and Tad to his right, the pair sharing a look and nodding. Pyronica messed around her drums, tapping something out before stopping.

“Well, you know, I would say it’s nice to see you but from now on, we are enemies.” Bill purred as Tad started a riff, Pryonica tapping on the drums before they reached an unknown point of connection and Will joined, starting off a strange harmony before Bill leaned forward and started to sing, Will joining in,

I just want to be better than your  
Your head's only medicine  
I just want to be better than your  
Your head's only medicine  
A downward spiral just a pirouette  
G-g-getting worse till there's n-n-nothing left  
What good comes of something when I'm  
just the ghost of nothing (nothing)?

I'm just the man on the balcony singing:  
"Nobody will ever remember me"  
Rejoice, rejoice and fall to your knees  
(for a)  
Lunatic of a god or a god of a lunatic?  
Oh, their faces are dancing  
They're dancing till  
Till they can't stand it  
A composer but never composed  
Singing the symphonies of the overdosed  
A composer but never composed  
Singing:  
"I only want what I can't have"  
"I only want what I can't have"

Watching the show live was so much different than in the audience or online. Here, he could feel the energy, the smooth current that was rising as the crowd started screaming along with them. The group themselves had transformed before Dipper’s eyes; he had been with them for a week, had seen them as regular people. He had seen Bill trudge out of bed, actually rolling out on more than one occasion in a blanket before drinking two mugs of coffee, straight black, before Will made him drink tea. Here, Bill was on fire, jumping up and down, swinging his hips as he ripped the mic from the stand, falling to his knees at the line _A composer but never composed, singing the symphonies of the overdosed._

Heralded as a king before I had a birthday  
With double (double) digits (digits)  
Fit the crown to my head but I was only a kid (yeah I was only a kid)  
Yeah I was only a kid  
(Hey)  
I'm just the man on the balcony singing:  
"Nobody will ever remember me"  
Rejoice, rejoice and fall to your knees  
(Oah)  
Lunatic of a god or a god of a lunatic?  
Oh, their faces are dancing  
They're dancing till  
Till they can't stand it  
A composer but never composed  
Singing the symphonies of the overdosed  
A composer but never composed.

Will had done a complete one-eighty from his normal attitude; gone was the quiet, almost shy man, with large blue eyes behind black rimmed glasses who wore over sized sweaters that hid his hands and gesticulated just as much as his twin, making the sleeves flop about. His grin was wide and his voice harmonized with Bill’s as they continued to sing, his guitar slung to his hips and his fingers moving like lightning. He was confident.

Tad reached a riff that made Dipper want to drool; he loved good music. The man was electric, it seemed. He was laughing, pulling sounds from his bass that shouldn’t be possible but were there anyways. He was moving, bass slung to his hips as well, but there was something darker, a little more intense about his stance than Will’s. Will was more alive, less contained. Tad was like a wave that was bottled, rocking a ship from side to side, powerful, and barely contained. Bill was more alive than all of them though; he was a raging tycoon, a wildfire that burned hot, bright, and long. It was like an electrical storm. Pyronica seemed to be the calmest out of all of them, but that was just appearance.

She was putting her whole body into the force of her drumming, beating the sound out and it was explosive. It went on like that, Bill singing his heart out and laughing as the audience sang along with him. It went from ‘From Now On We’re Enemies” to “Puppeter”, “Soul for Sale” and then “Discord”. Each song, seemingly random, pulled the audience into a bigger and bigger frenzy and each member was laughing, mouthing the words along with Bill and Will as they sang, playing so loud the entire building could have experienced an earthquake and Dipper was pretty sure that no one would notice.

“Oh man, I love you guys.” Bill giggled, leaning over his microphone stand, grinning wide. He was drenched in sweat, the beads glistening off his brow, making his hair stand up in odd ways. Dipper tried to ignore the way that his stomach flipped and fluttered, pushing the thoughts of any kind of attraction out of his mind. He didn’t even know Bill that well, aside from that the man had a soft side when it was needed, was an asshole but in an almost endearing way, witty in a way that made Dipper wonder if he was insane, and confusing.

‘ _That’s what he is. Confusing. Just when I think I have him down, he’s changing all over again. It’s so frustrating!!_ ’ Dipper puzzled over the conundrum that was Bill Cipher as he faintly heard another set being played. He watched, absent-mindedly, as Bill fell to his knees in front of the stage, close enough to touch, as a groupie flung himself up at the man but a security guard caught him before he even cleared the bar and set him back down, forcing him down. He looked out to the crowd and saw a mob of twisting, rolling neon color. There were glow sticks everywhere. He saw spot lights roving the stadium, saw people flash on large screens for a few seconds as the camera’s from the rafters roved across the tops of the audience, catching faces and mouthed words, the expressions of joy, confusion and at a few points, rapture and lust.

The crowd was a single entity it seemed, and they were singing, shouting and screaming the lyrics right back at the band. He was drawn from his thoughts though, as he realized that he had been staring at Bill, taking in the way his body moved, the smooth, almost serpentine movements of his body, the fluid way he moved across the stage, dominating the area and pulling stunts that had the crowd screaming for more. He jumped off the speakers, did a flip, fell to his knees and crawled… Dipper couldn’t tear his eyes away. Bill looked his way and gave him a look that sent shivers down his spine. His blue-amber eyes were heady, dark and smoky. He looked like he wanted to eat Dipper and he couldn’t exactly say he was adverse to that- Dipper shook his head, dragging himself out of the trance, at least a little, until Bill went back to singing, Tad’s solo leading to the bridge.

He watched in amazement as Bill dominated the stage, holding out the last note as Will and Tad pulled sounds that shouldn’t be made by guitars, too drawn in to realize his blush, or that his twin had returned. With one final scream and clash, Bill slumped forward onto the microphone stand, holding onto it as he panted, hair sticking up at all angles, black nail polish glinting in the light.

“You know, before we do our last set, I want to tell you guys a story, since you’ve been such a badass audience. Do you want to hear something interesting?” The audience screamed. Bill grinned as Will shouted into his mic,

“Do you want to know the secrets to the universe?!” The scream was so loud Dipper was sure his ears were bleeding. Bill laughed, the sound echoing off the walls and through the stadium; it was a strange giggle-cackle that sounded hollow due to Bill being breathlessness and the PA system.

“Well too bad, I’m not telling you-” The audience yelled and called, and Bill grinned wider, leaning so close to the edge people could see the manic glint in his eyes and the sweat on his brow.

“UNLESS YOU SCREAM YOUR FUCKING HEADS OFF!! Let me hear you!” The call was so loud the room seemed to shake. Bill laughed, voice rough and breathless, as Tad and Will tuned up, laughing in the background.

“Well, alright then! Keep in mind, cause of the awesome sound you guys made you get two stories. So, here’s the first one. We’re going on this kick ass world tour!” He paused for more screams, “Yeah, I know right? And so, our amazing manager, Shooting Star, got her twin, Pine Tree, to come and follow us around, write about us, everything! The guy is quite possibly going to turn insane by the end of the trip but he’ll sure as hell have a fun time getting there, won’t he?!” The crowd screams and Bill laughed along with them.

“The second story is slightly less interesting than getting a new band member, but here it is. So, some guy was walking up and down the streets a few days ago, right? He’s selling tickets and he comes up to me and asks, “Hey, do you like Devil’s Kiss?” I’m trying real hard not to laugh, keep in mind, and I say, “Yeah, they’re pretty good.” And he asks, “Are you going to the show in San Diego?” I nod, say “Yes, I am.” I don’t think he recognized me but let’s be honest, can I be more sexy?” Everyone screams and Dipper has to refrain from shouting with them. Bill laughs but he looks to the side where he knows Dipper is watching, with Mabel now that she’s returned from her phone call with Pacifica, and smirks. Dipper swallows and tries to ignore his stomach tying in knots.

“He says, “Wanna buy a ticket?” I almost broke character but I told him, “Nah, I’ll find a way to get in somehow.” And he shrugs, looking a little disappointed and says, “Yeah. They’re a little gay, aren’t they?” I laugh, and say, “Yeah, and I hear the lead singer is an asshole.” Well, here’s to the guy who tried to sell me tickets to my own damn show, and I hope to hell he’s in the audience, we are not a “little gay”, we are very fucking gay! And I would love to dedicate this last song to the lovely Pine Tree sitting in the back with his twin, Shooting Star. Wanna play some truth or dare?”

The crowd was going insane and then the music started. Dipper watched, entranced, as Bill turned from the hyper, manic man on stage to someone in charge and confident, the lyrics pouring over him. His eyes shot open when they reached the chorus though, Bill jumping up and down as he sang,

It's as easy as,  
1, 2, 3, do you see what I do

Jets of blue flame came up around them as Bill jumped up and down, perfectly synched with the count. He swung around on stage, leaning against Will as they sang the next line into the same mic.

Truth or dare, yes I double dare you  
You, you, me, now I think you got it  
One last breath and just spin the bottle now

You know you don’t need to be so worried  
Even though below I'm still thinking bout' it

1, 2, 3, and I double dare me as well  
Truth, dare

Dipper was lost for the rest of the song, unknowingly bouncing on the tips of his toes and headbanging as Mabel watched, smirking. All too soon, it was over and Dipper was pulled out of his trance as Bill yelled,

“Thank you San Diego, good night! Have a kiss from the Devil!” And then he and Will blew a kiss into the crowd before winding their arms around each other’s necks and they slunk off stage, hips moving in synch. When they got off, they both seemed to fall into each other, panting and a little punch drunk from the stage high.

“That… Was the best show… Ever.” Bill panted as he and Will struggled to hold each other up. Mabel managed to direct them to the dressing room where they collapsed on the couch, sinking into the worn cushions and sighing with relief. Tad and Pyronica were laughing as they jogged off stage, following the duo. When they reached the dressing room, Pyronica collapsed into the nearest chair and laughed. Tad ran his hands through his hair before he picked up Dipper and swung him around.

“Oh god, the rush never gets old!” He laughed, almost crushing poor Dipper. He squeaked, trying to get free, but Tad was far stronger than he was, even with all the time he spent outside and adventuring. His arms were almost like steel bands, and he was crushing Dipper’s ribs.

“Strange, put him down before you crush him to dust!” Will said, managing to catch his breath. Tad seemed to come back to himself and nodded, before plopping Dipper down in Bill’s lap, making the smaller man sprawl in a mess of limbs across the blonde.

“So eager to get in my pants, eh, Pine Tree?” Bill asked, before he seemed to zero in on something on Dipper’s forehead. Dipper, however, noticed the twins stare and rolled away onto Will, who ‘oofed’ at the sudden weight, brushing his hair overtop the mark before Bill could see.

“Okay, let’s get back to the bus; I’m starved.” He said, probably too quickly but Will and Bill seemed to have a single mind as they came down off the high of the show and nodded, Bill’s curiosity put on hold for the moment now that food was a possibility and the adrenaline was wearing off.

As the group made their way back outside, Will and Bill still leaning heavily on each other, Mabel suddenly stopped, making the others stop or else run into her.

“Dip-” She breathed and Dipper followed her gaze to the bus. There was an old Camero. A dark red, beaten up Camero. Rusted from too many nights in cold, harsh rain and sea side spots. Too old and yet still functioning. The twins shared a look, identical grins blooming on their faces, before they were sprinting for the bus, shouting at the top of their lungs.

“GRUNKLE STAN!! GRUNKLE FORD!!” they screamed. Teeth threw the door open as he saw them running and narrowly escaped being plowed into, stepping down and to the left soon as the door opened. Dipper and Mabel didn’t see him; they were too excited about seeing their Grunkle’s again.

“Dipper! Mabel!” They heard as they rushed inside, to see their Grunkles sitting at the table, wide smiles on their faces as Ford pet Ceaser, the tiny furball purring loud enough to rival an engine. Their Grunkles looked a little haggard from the sea air but aside from that, Stan and Ford looked just as old and wrinkly and surprisingly young as they always had. The twins flung themselves at the old men like they were twelve again and staying at their shack/gift shop (i.e tourist trap) known as the ‘Mystery Shack’. Stan had transformed it into a tourist trap when Ford went missing for a few years after college, stuck somewhere at sea. It wasn’t until the pair were almost fifty that they met again and from that moment on, weren’t very far from the other. Ford waved his six fingered hands as Stan laughed as the younger Pine’s twins scrambled to get around the table to hug them.

“Ooifff!! Mabel, sweetheart, you’re crushing my ribs- Holy waffles, when did you get so strong?” Ford wheezed as Dipper gave a slightly less bone crushing hug to Stan, who coughed as Dipper held on tight.

“Hot Belgium waffles, when did you kids get strong?”

“You know we’re twenty-five, right?” Dipper said, smiling as Stan smiled and ruffled his hair.

“Lies, it’s all lies. I refuse to believe that. You and your sister will forever be twelve in our eyes, exploring the woods and getting into wacky adventures.”

“Hey, the vampire thing actually happened!”

“Mabel, sweetie, you were hopped up on Smile Dip-”

“Oh fuck no, do not mention that evil hellish creation around me!” Pyronica snapped, the members of the band finally getting on board. She looked haunted as Tad gave Bill and Will worried looks, the twins shuddering.

“Mabel…”

“Well, it was exam season and I needed an extra kick to Mabel Juice, so I added-”

“Six cups of sugar, plastic dinosaurs, water, coffee, glitter, and exactly eleventeen packets of Smile Dip. And I don’t even want to know what else was in there.” Tad rattled off, shivering at the memory.

“That brew gave me nightmares and horrible nightmare visions anytime I closed my eyes, Mabel! It was so not worth the good grades I got.” Bill shuddered, wrapping his arms around himself.

“Mabel, there’s a reason Smile Dip is banned in stores across most the world! How did you even get your hands on it?”

“German exchange student. He ate like six packets and didn’t blink.” She shrugged and Dipper groaned.

“Because his blood was probably more sugar than water!”

“I have to agree with Pine Tree on that one, Shooting Star. The dude’s blood would give a mosquito diabetes.” Will quipped as the Pines family scooted out from the seats around the kitchen table.

“I dib shower first!” Pyronica said, moving further into the bus.

“We should be at the hotel the day after tomorrow, so whoever’s okay with not showering, speak now or you will be voted.”

“I’m good.” Bill and Dipper said simultaneously and Bill gave Dipper a look like he was expecting a remark but Dipper wasn’t going to rise to the bait. Bill rolled his eyes and Dipper could swear he heard him mutter “Killjoy.” But then he and Stan were talking as Ford asked Bill, Will and Tad, Pyronica having fled to be clean, about their interests and generally failing at small talk.

“How about this; you explain why you’re a Polydactyly and your twin isn’t and Will and I answer your question about our eyes, deal?” Bill smiled and Ford blinked before he launched into the genetics of twins, fraternal and identical, Bill chiming in with questions or his own ideas. Ford’s smile grew as they talked, and Bill started to gesticulate, smiling wider and wider as their conversation went on.

“Do you understand any of this?” Tad asked Stan at one point as Will just watched his twin and Ford, having taken a shower and dressed in comfortable sweats and a loose sweater made by Mabel with a pug knitted on the front, and started a book. Tad and Pyronica showered and dressed in their comfortable clothes, Tad sipping at a cooling mug of tea as Stan drank water- alcohol out of the fridge because, as Dipper had learned, Tad didn’t like the taste, Will and Bill didn’t need any encouragement to do anything stupid and Pyronica was sober for almost four years straight. She showed him her sobriety token when he asked the general question as to why there was no alcohol, seeing as it was commonplace for most other bands that he knew of. Tad shrugged and looked him straight in the eye through the lense of his camera as he explained and Pyronica held up the token for the camera to see.

 _“I’m proud that I lasted, and that_ Im _strong enough not to fall back into that. Plus, I have these idiotic maniacs I call friends helping me.” But her words carried no bite and her smile was real. Dipper turned the camera off after that._

“Nope. Genetics and all that goes way over my head. I’m better with technology, programming, and building, you know.” Stan shrugged and Tad nodded.

“There’s two more bunks that are free if you and Ford want to stay with us until we make it to the hotel-”

“Hey, Sixer!” Stan’s voice dragged the man from his conversation with Bill and he raised an eyebrow.

“Yes?”

“Want to sleep here with the kids or go back to Stan o’War II?”

“I don’t want to impede-”

“Grunkle Ford, Grunkle Stan, stay!! I’m sure Anamorphous wouldn’t mind driving the Camero for a while, then that way we can see you guys in the morning and you’re sleeping on actual beds before you have to leave. Plus, if you get tired of us, you can follow us to the hotel with Anamorphous.”

“Who?” the older twins asked, eyebrows rising.

“Really, really, _really_ bendy rigger and driver friend of ours. His real name is Jackson Shape but he might as well not have any bones, the way he bends.” Pyronica piped up and Ford nodded, looking intrigued.

“Sixer, we’ve talked about this. NO research on nice people; they already think we’re weird, we don’t need to scare them off any further.” Will suddenly started laughing, almost cackling and Bill looked at his brother in surprise.

“Oh… my god!” he gasped, getting himself back under control. “That’s exactly what the others say to Bill and I!” The other, younger members in the bus started to laugh as well, the older Pine’s twins looking slightly disturbed and bemused before Stan snorted and rolled his eyes, muttering,

“Young people.” This set them off once more and it was several minutes before they managed to calm down. They talked after that, for several hours; everything from Stan and Ford’s trips at sea and the countries they visited, prompting the need to show photos and Mabel swear she would pretty the scrapbooks up over Christmas. Tad and Pyronica talked about the college years, when they had been worried the twins would destroy themselves with work, both for class and with the band, before they managed to get anywhere. Then Mabel came into their lives, like a lucky wish from a shooting star, thus earning her nickname ‘Shooting Star’, as Will and Bill laughed and added funny stories about how Tad earned the nickname Floppy Disk-

“He stored all his backup files on floppy disks so no one could steal them!!” Will said, Bill almost unable to breathe from how hard he was laughing. Dipper was doubled over as Mabel and Pyronica laughed so hard they were almost sick. Ford rolled his eyes as Stan chuckled.

And how Pyronica, Victoria Peace, got the name “Pyronica”-

“I was fucking tired of these damn frat boys leaving their boxers on our dorm lawn so I took them one day-”

“Wait, how often was this an occurrence?” Dipper interjected.

“Hmn, they’d have girlfriends or fuck buddies and forget their boxers sometimes, so someone would just throw them out the window into the bushes and onto the lawn, leaving them for lawn maintenance to clean up. Anyways, I was damn sick of it, so I rounded up all the boxers I could find in the garden and then set them on fire. There was also the time I set the asshole president’s shrubbery on fire. They still haven’t connected me to either of those, by the way.” They laughed so hard, they were almost sick.

But the night was wearing on and when it hit nine thirty, Anamorphous came in to get the keys from Stan, and promised to keep the Camero in the same condition she was in at the moment, if not better, and Pyronica yawned wide enough to crack her jaw.

“Come on you two, I’ll help you settle in for the night. Night you guys.” Mabel nodded and stretched before hugging her twin, Bill, Will, Tad, Pyronica, and her Grunkles good night, saying she was going to sleep. She looked at Dipper a little longer, silently promising, again, to talk to him more later on the whole flower-Wendy thing and Dipper sighed, but knew there was no escape for him. Tad turned in a short while later and Dipper followed, trying to think sleepy thoughts. He quickly changed for bed and took his meds, brushing his teeth and then crawling into the warm bunk, shutting out the cold. He closed the curtain and turned on the overhead light, grabbing his book and settling in for a few minutes of reading. A few minutes turned into an hour, before that became a few more chapters, till he finished the book. Dipper groaned and sighed, the book flopping onto his face, like that would make him sleep.

“Mergh, I want sleep…” he grumbled and shook his head before checking his phone for the time, which read 2:30 am. Dipper groaned again and resigned himself to staying awake the whole night, or maybe even catching a few hours of sleep… His eyelids started to close and he fell into a restless sleep. But then he was awake, staring at the door that had almost killed him, the face of the one he thought he loved, thought he knew, swam in front of him.

Her laughter danced around the space as he shook, breath coming in short, pained gasps, the broken fingers and bruises nothing compared to the agony he was experiencing inside his heart; he trusted her. He loved her!! He whimpered, shaking as large, fat tears rolled down his face as he reset his fingers before barricading the door and dialing 911, barely lucid, his forehead was pounding like gnomes were mining his skull for calcium using napalm. But then, the phone was crushed, re-breaking his broken hand, and her once beautiful smile turned cruel, her hair red as the blood that pumped from his open wounds.

“Oh, Little Dipper. Did you really think I wouldn’t find you?”

“Dipper, hey, Dipper!” A new voice this time, shattering the nightmare as heat invaded the cold of the dream, the numbness of everything. “Dipper, come on, wake up man.” He sat bolt upright and bit back a whine of pain as his head hit the bunk, wincing. Bill was there, worry painted on his face like heavy paint on a canvas like it went to his core.

“Dipper, come on, you need to wake up.”

“I am awake,” he mumbled and Bill sighed before grabbing the warmest blankets and then pulling Dipper from his bed. Dipper, half awake, struggled for a few seconds but Bill was stronger and succeeded in pulling the slightly shorter man out from his bunk, then wrapping him in the blankets and guiding him over to the couch that made up the seats around the kitchen table. Bill said nothing as he rummaged through the cabinets before huffing,

"Why is the coffee always gone?" 

Dipper smiled a little, barely cracking the surface. But he smiled. Bill smiled back before he made tea for two, sliding the tall mug across the table to Dipper and taking a sip himself. They sat there in silence for a good while, Dipper calming down as Bill waited for him to speak, not prying, not asking, just sitting and drinking tea.

“Thanks, for waking me up,” Dipper said softly and Bill nodded, a soft look in his eyes like he understood.

“You sounded like you were in pain, and afraid. I wasn’t going to let you suffer.” Bill shrugged and busied himself with stirring his tea as Dipper wiped away the tears he just realized where running down his cheeks.

“Thanks.”

After several long minutes of silence, Bill asked gently,

“Do you mind me asking what you were dreaming about?”

“If you tell me why you’re up at the asscrack of dawn.” Bill stared at him for a long time, mug held in a white knuckle grip before he looked down at the half empty drink.

“How about this; we each ask the other one question, we have to answer truthfully and no passing, got it?” He raised his head, looking Dipper in the eyes, something flashing behind them.

“How many questions?”

“Hmn, I guess until we get bored, the other doesn’t answer after five minutes, or one of us falls asleep. So, what was your nightmare about?”

“You first.” Dipper shot back, and Bill smirked, rolling his eyes before he shrugged.

“I have insomnia and have horrible nightmares about the rougher parts of my life. Sleep isn’t entirely pleasant but I don’t like sleeping pills. Besides, they don’t work. Your turn.” Bill wasn’t snappy, like Dipper expected. He was calm, almost completely still, if it weren’t for the gentle tapping of his fingers against the porcelain of the mug.

Dipper was silent for almost the full five minutes and Bill just kept staring at him, waiting, a patient look on his face and an unreadable light in his eyes. Dipper looked down at the wood grain of the table and said softly, so softly it almost wasn’t heard over the rain pounding off the windows and the splash of tires as they drove.

“I-I had a nightmare about my ex.”

“The flowers-” Bill breathed, eyes going wide.

“Were from her, yeah. I didn’t think she’d find me, really.”

“Obsessive or abusive?”

“One question.” Dipper shot back, finally looking up. Bill rolled his eyes but nodded, waiting for Dipper to ask his question.

“Do you have any favorite books?”

“Hmn, Lord of the Rings, Good Omens, American Gods, Jack London as a general author, the Hobbit, Harry Potter, the Waking Engine- I could go on.”

“Wow.”

“Yup.” Bill smiled, popping the ‘p’. Then, he leaned in and looked at Dipper’s forehead.

“What’s the thing I thought I saw earlier on your forehead?”

“Uhm…”

“You have to answer truthfully,” Bill said, smirking as Dipper sighed, taking a large gulp of his tea before setting it back down and lifting his bangs. Bill gasped and then leaned in close before moving around so he sat next to Dipper and turned so he faced him, looking closely at the perfect shape of the constellation.

“The Big Dipper… That’s where your parents got your name…”

“It’s actually a nickname.” Dipper blushed to the roots of his hair, trying not fight off the embarrassment.

“That is so damn cool.” Bill said, smiling and chuckling. “Okay, your turn.” He wrapped an arm around Dipper’s shoulders like he knew he was cold and the unnatural amount of heat he radiated went a long way to keep Dipper warm and burning away the thoughts of Wendy.

“Okay… Did you ever have to do any embarrassing dances as a kid?”

“... That’s an oddly specific question…” Bill answered before he hummed and shook his head.

“Nope, that I remember. If I did, Will would have as well, and then we would have repressed it. But our parents weren’t exactly the caring type.”

“Oh.” Dipper could feel Bill shrug and moved closer so that Bill wouldn’t leave him to fend off the dark and cold. As it was, the small light over the counter light didn’t cast enough light to properly see each other, and aside from the occasional street lamp casting brief suns in the dark space, each man could barely see the outline of the other. It made this strange game seem more private, more safe. There was something consoling about the heat of the lean body next to him, the arm over his shoulder, and the body tucked against the side. The blanket of dark not quite thick enough to smother, and but not light enough to see through completely either. The game continued till they came back to Wendy again.

“So, obsessive or abusive?” Bill asked softly.

“Both, I guess. She was manipulative and managed to convince me anything wrong was my fault. She hit me a few times when I really fucked up, left bruises on my ribs and gave me two black eyes. Once slammed my hand in a door; it ironically took me almost losing the ability to write to wake up. But by the time I came back to pick up my shit and leave, she was gone. I brought a friend of mine, a really big guy named Franklin and some of his friends, Steve, Andy, Schembulock, and Carson with me just in case, you know. But I packed up most my stuff, gave away what she gave me, and gave away half my clothes. I put everything else in Pacifica’s mansion and left for England. I came back, never heard from her again. I moved out of California to Oregon and wound up living there for three years. Now, I’m here.” He yawned hugely and snuggled closer to Bill.

“Go to sleep, Dipper.” the man said, smiling as he ran his fingers through his hair. Dipper hummed, for once feeling completely relaxed before he fell asleep, insomnia not plaguing him like it always did. As he fell asleep, he found that, again, his perception of Bill was completely thrown. But he wasn’t entirely bothered by it. It just added to the mystery, and if there was one thing Dipper loved, it was solving complex mysteries. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER PART AND RELATIONSHIP EXPLANATION:
> 
> Dipper was in an abusive relationship with Wendy in their later years, having had a honeymoon relationship for about two years before she started to manipulate him and later hit him, leaving bruises and even one-time breaking several fingers when she slammed his hand in a door. Dipper may have been strong but Wendy had been a lumberjack's daughter and thus stronger than him, and easily beat him. Dipper was blinded by his love for her when he was younger and, like any abusive relationship started to believe that he was the one at fault instead of Wendy and would become defensive whenever someone told him otherwise. Wendy is basically a bitch in this, but shortly after his fingers were broken, Dipper woke up, so to speak, and moved all his shit out of their shared apartment, gave away a majority of his things and moved the rest into Pacifica and Mabel's shared mansion before he went to England. Wendy had already left the apartment but Dipper didn't know if she kept it or sold it. He didn't really care.
> 
> After England, he moved to Oregon, told only his parents, as he had cut ties with most of his friends while dating Wendy, having believed them trying to break them apart (they had been but for good reason, i.e saving Dipper from the abuse and manipulation). Most of what Wendy did that was abusive was emotional or manipulative, like cheating on Dipper and saying he wasn't enough, making him depressive before he would beg for her to come back; again, she had really fucked with his head and it wasn't until after four years that he got out. Now, he's touring with Devil's Kiss and the 'flower incident' from earlier in the chapter was a message from Wendy to freak him out. It will come into play later on, as well.


	3. Alls (Not) Quiet on the Western Front

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Bill get lost, run into a new person briefly, while on the hunt for coffee. Dipper contemplates mortality, Mabel tries to keep everyone sane and with caffeine withdrawals come desperate measures, though writing in time crunches also require large amounts of Mabel Juice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOLY SHIT!!!!! Guy's I am so sorry about the mini hiatus!!!! I've been busy with work and posting another work that's kinda consumed my time, when I'm not working. Anyways, thank you for not giving up on me!!! I promise I will post more regularly and actually keep on top of these updates. Lordy, I am so sorry for the long wait. BUT, thank you for the kudos, bookmarks and comments!!! Comments make me post faster, bookmarks make me very happy and kudos make me smile. Thank you everyone for reading, I promise I will keep up with this more. As always, this work is unbeta'd, so if you see any mistakes-spelling, grammar, plot points, etc - leave me a comment and I will fix it soon as possible. Also, my Spanish is REALLY rusty, so PLEASE, tell me if there's anything wrong with it!!! Okay, that's enough babbling! On with the fic!  
> Wait, I lied.  
> DISCLAIMER!!!! I OWN NOTHING, aside from OC's and the plot of this fic, I OWN NOTHING. ALL GRAVITY FALLS CHARACTERS BELONG TO ALEX HIRSCH. I OWN NOTHING!!!!  
> Okay, now on with the story!!  
> I hope you enjoy and that all is well!!
> 
> -RR

“I told you, we should have made a right instead of a left! If Doctor Who has taught us anything, it’s that you ALWAYS turn right, never left, Bill!” Will huffed, shaking his head as he and his twin walked down the cold streets of LA; the sunshine it was so famous for absent. Thankfully, they had made it to the hotel on time, though Stan and Ford had to leave after the second day if they wanted to get back to the Stan o’ War II in time to make it to France before the weather turned nasty, apparently. They were back on the road, though lacked coffee as they drank the last of it the day of the first show.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” Bill huffed, rolling his eyes. They huddled close under an umbrella, arms linked, the bright yellow mixing well with the bright neon colors from signs that advertised or beckoned pedestrians to come inside and puddles of light from overhead lights and windows, faux warmth and inviting one to go and find a dry space to sit and drink a cup of coffee. Which was the reason as to why the pair were out in the hellish weather. Coffee. Specifically, coffee that was hot enough to blister the tongue and warm the soul, and any place that sold good, strong coffee, that wasn’t Starbucks.

“Look, Tad said that the coffee shop, It’s A Small World, should be on the corner. We’ve passed like six corners and gone up a hill that might as well be a mountain and still haven’t found the damn thing. So, we’re lost because we took a left instead of a right.” Will huffed and Bill growled before he snapped,

“Oh, fuck off! You’re just as much to blame as I am in this, Willie! You could have said something, oh I don’t know, six fucking blocks and a fucking mountain ago but no, I have to be a bad guy, don’t I? It’s my damn fault we’re lost, it’s my damn fault that I can’t be you, it’s my damn fault I’m not fucking perfect, isn’t it?!” And then wrenched his arm from his brother’s before he stormed away, instantly soaked. Will blinked a few times before he ran after his brother, worry and panic in his eyes.

“Bill!! Bill, please wait up! Come on, Bill, please! I’m not as fast as you, you know that! Come on, wait!” He closed the umbrella as he chased after his older twin, hair plastered to his skull in mere moments as his jeans clung to his legs and his oversized sweater soaked up the filthy water like a sponge. His shoes were thankfully waterproof but his glasses were fogging up with condensation as he raced after the lanky figure in front of him. He thanked his lucky stars that Bill loved yellow so much and had forgone his usual trench coat/waist coat for his favored yellow hoodie and dark grey jeans, and neon yellow converse, making it easy for Will to follow him. Bill stopped at a corner, huddling under an awning as thunder started to roll overhead, allowing Will to catch up.

“Christ, you move way too fast.” Will panted, almost bent double. He may be in shape but he wasn’t as fast as Bill, not by a long shot. He was just lucky that it was raining or else Bill may have started to do parkour, forcing Will to follow and chase him over roofs and God knew what else. Bill spared Will a glance before he fully turned towards him, worry oozing off him like the water draining off their clothes.

“Will, what the fuck?!”

“I was chasing you, Bill! What, do you think that I’m going to chase you with an umbrella open? That creates drag and I would have gotten wet anyways.”

Bill sighed and shook his head, looking down. Will frowned before he sidled close to his twin and wrapped his arms around his waist, tucking his head into his shoulder and just hugging Bill. He knew the best way to drag Bill out of his self-loathing was either a good old fashioned battle of wits or just a hug, silent and sturdy, reminding him that they were in fact, okay. Bill’s arms hung for a minute before they wrapped tightly around his twin and he shook; Will wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or something else but he didn’t care. He wasn’t entirely sure why Bill had the random outburst but swore to watch his twin closely.

“I’m sorry…” Bill said softly, sighing. “It’s the caffeine withdrawal and the fucking weather that’s bringing me down…”

“Hey, it’s okay. I’m starting to get a headache too. Let’s back track and see if we can find another way to the coffee shop-”

“You’re looking for a coffee shop? Cause there’s a lot of those around man, you have your pick.” A sudden voice asked.

Both twins whipped around, Bill sliding in front of Will slightly, forcing his twin closer to the side so if it turned out to be dangerous, he could run. A young woman, maybe mid-twenties, stood in the doorway. She was carrying an orange plaid umbrella in one hand and one arm was wrapped around a paper bag that bulged with groceries. Her blood red hair was held back in a messy bun, wearing a pair of mud encrusted boots, dark skinny jeans and a faded band tee. Her green eyes were calm, sparking with mischief and something else that neither twin could place. But she smiled, sickeningly sweet, and instantly both twins were on alert. Nothing good ever came of smiles that looked like they could give you diabetes…

“I can show you the way; I’ve lived here for the last three years, so I know this place like the back of my hand.” Red offered, smiling a little less, a little more like a normal person. Will and Bill shared a look before nodding after a tense nonverbal battle commenced. Will won.

“Do you know the way to It’s a Small World Cafe?” Will asked tentatively.

“Oh, yeah!” her face light up. “My best friends work there. I was on my way right now! Come on, I can give you a lift-”

“Ah, thanks, but-” Bill started, eyeing her like she was venomous and Red groaned and shook her head.

“Dude, it’s pouring rain, freezing outside, and it’s mostly uphill. Plus, it’s like seven blocks away, walking. And you two are already soaked.” At that moment, Will sneezed and Red locked eyes with Bill.

“Look, your brother is going to get sick real fast if you don’t let me help you two, okay? If you don’t trust me, that’s fine, cause you literally just met me, but do you really want him getting sick and possibly getting pneumonia or hypothermia on your conscious?”

Bill froze before he shook his head and Red nodded, smiling like a cat with cream. Bill felt a chill go up his spine at that look and pressed Will a little closer to the wall, reflexive instinct taking over before Red was walking away, waiting a few paces away. Will opened the umbrella back up and the twins followed a few paces behind, eyeing her back as she bobbed her head to some unknown song.

“Come on, my truck’s this way.” She lead the way to her truck, an old, beat up blue Ram, throwing the door open for the twins on the sidewalk side before she put the groceries at the well underneath the passenger seats side. Bill climbed in first, putting himself between Red and his brother, Will following, closing and shaking the umbrella after him before he closed the door. It squealed as he slammed it shut, then pressed close to Bill. Red climbed in after they got situated, turning on the Ram and throwing it into drive, before she turned on the radio and drove off, mouthing along with one of their songs. Bill recognized it instantly as “From Now On, We’re Enemies” and hummed along with himself, finding the experience a little trippy.

“Oh, sorry, I should have asked. Do you like this kind of music?” She looked at him in the corner of her eye and Bill shrugged, fighting to keep a smile of his face at the situation. He could almost see the headlines: “Lead Singer of Devil’s Kiss and Twin Brother Missing, Kidnapped by Fan”

“Yeah, this is okay. Why do you like Devil’s Kiss?” Bill asked mildly, looking at Will and almost laughing. As it was, a chuckle escaped and Red looked at him like he was crazy, but then again, he was, so, nothing new there.

“Hmn, I didn’t at first, really. I thought that they were just a bunch of hyped up trash that used sex as an idea to sell themselves, kinda like musical prostitutes.” Bill had to bite back a comment and squeeze Will’s arm to keep him from cutting her down several pegs. He loved his twin, but when Will was set off, oh he was terrifying.

Red continued, “But then I actually listened to their work, and started to fall in love with them. They told stories through their songs and it really spoke to me. There was heartache and sex, drive, passion and need dripping from Cipher’s voice and I almost died when I heard about their new tour. I actually went to their first show, went into the pit. My friend Nate swears he touched Cipher and it was kinda creepy how he saying he touched a golden god or something like that. But I can understand it. He’s still finding gold body glitter all over him.” Bill did laugh at that.

‘ _Note to self, see if we can shoot glitter as a finale. Gold, pink, purple, silver, green… Oh, I like that idea. You are good for something Red._ ’ He smirked at the thought and they carried on light conversation, dissecting the songs that Bill and Will had written on the the CD ‘Hench Maniacs’. Will chimed in a few times as his shyness eased away, causing Red to laugh at a few comments and throw in her own two cents on the matter. She was usually wrong but Bill had to give her props for trying.

“Well, why do you think the line ‘Composer but never composed, singing the songs of the overdosed’ means that Cipher wasn’t struggling?”

“Hmn, because it was written by the drummer, Pyronica, right?” Wendy nodded and Will shrugged.

“She was once an alcoholic, and got sober, right? Well Composer but never composed seems to speak to Cipher and his inability to remain stable unless he was on stage, and singing the songs of the overdosed was her token. He’s singing about her addiction, the overdose of alcohol.” Red looked surprised but before she could strike up an argument, Bill pointed at the windshield like an excited puppy, saying,

“Is that it there?” And Red nodded, argument forgotten. She parked on the side of the street and the minute the truck was in park, the pair were out the door and running inside.

“Oh thank the Gods above. I invoke thine name in thanks for this bounty!” Bill said, almost reverently, as Will rolled his eyes and pulled his twin to the counter, ordering nine drinks.

“One venti straight black, one venti frap with whip, chocolate powder, extra sugar, two pumps espresso, and a shot of vanilla, one mocha, whip frap, soy with extra foam and two pumps espresso. Two venti hot chocolates, extra whip on the first, none on the second, and chocolate sauce on the first. One venti mocha with extra sugar, three espresso pumps, whip, chocolate sauce and extra sprinkles, then three earl grey teas, also Venti, and one of the three Earl Greys as a London Fog, please.”

The poor kid behind the counter almost couldn’t keep up with the speed Will talked, though he took pity on the man and repeated the order, slower this time. While he was doing that, Bill took in the small cafe. It was warm, thank fuck, and had a strange vibe; almost rustic, with wood slabs as tables and a detailed forest painted on one wall, an actual trunk from floor to ceiling acting as a bookshelf. The rest of the walls were a mellow cream, the floor hardwood pine. The counter was one long wooden slab, the rough edges glossed over, giving it a sticky, sappy, appearance. The lighting made their tan skin softer, almost like it were brushed on instead of actual skin. Bill resisted the want to tug his sleeves down further, hiding inches exposed, the pale scars not even visible but he felt almost naked for some reason. He shivered, not entirely sure if it were from the cold or something else.

“Whoa, you two drink a lot of coffee.” the blonde said as he finished taking down the orders. His hair was held back in a bun, and looked like he smiled a lot, and an apron over his dark green shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He passed the paper he wrote the orders onto to his co-worker, the dark skin of the african-american man almost glinting in the soft lighting. Bill laughed when he realized it was the glitter from the concert, though he hadn’t worn a lot, Pyronica had dumped some in his hair and when he had been dancing, apparently most of it had fallen into the crowd.

“So, how long are you in town? Cause, I wonder what our future together will look like.” the blonde asked, leaning a little closer, his name tag reading ‘Lee’ in loopy cursive. Will smiled and said,

“Close your eyes,” Lee did so, a smile on his face. “Now, what do you see?” Will asked, using his stage voice, making it smoky and loose, like brandy. Bill rolled his eyes. Will could be such a tease.

“Uhm, I can’t really see anything…”

“Exactly.” Lee’s face fell and the barista making their drinks started laughing so hard he almost fell over.

“Oh, dude, he got you good.”

“Shut up Nate.” Lee grumbled before he started ringing them up. “That’ll be thirty-six seventy-five.” Bill grunted and dug out his wallet as Red waltzed in. She slid into a booth near the middle window and waved to the pair.

“Here, this should cover it.” he handed over the card before he remembered that it was in his name, and that Red was a fan… Oh fuck… Lee’s eyes however, didn’t change, and he simply swiped the card and had Bill sign the screen with his finger. It was a messy scrawl really, but it wasn’t like he cared. Outside, the rain started to slow from the thunderous sheets to a lighter drizzle.

“Okay, here are the first five drinks, they’re all labelled, and I’m almost done with the next batch.” Nate said with a smile and Bill nodded in thanks, plucking his coffee from the mix and taking a long sip. After almost two days of copious amounts of Mabel Juice, which was about two mugs of the stuff instead of shots like was healthy, or as healthy as you can get with the nightmare-ish stuff, this was heaven. Will found his and took a long drink, eyes almost rolling back in his head as the boiling hot drink rolled over his tongue and down his throat.

“Oh god, I missed this… Way too much Mabel Juice..” he mumbled and Bill hummed in agreement. At that very moment, Bill’s phone started to play “Smiley Face” by Gnarles Barkley and he almost rolled his eyes when the ID flashed ‘Floppy Disk’.

“Yellow?”

‘ _Bill, where the fuck are you two?!_ ’

“Okay, calm down there bread husband-” Bill started before Will shouted into his ear and the mouth piece,

“Hi Tad! We found coffee!”

‘ _I take it that’s Will?_ ’

“Mnh-hmn. What’s up? Oh god, that’s so good.” Bill groaned as he drank more of the wonderful drink. “So much better than Mabel Juice…”

‘ _Please refrain from making sex noises in public. I really don’t want to have to rescue you from rabid fangirls, again. Anyways, where are you two?_ ’

Before Bill could answer, Nate brought out the rest of their order just as the rain stopped and the door to the back opened, revealing an african-american woman with purple and pink highlights came out, dressed in fishnet stockings, a grey skirt, combat boots, and a purple sweater. She was holding hands with a pasty white man, with black dyed hair and dark eyes, wearings skinny jeans and black converse, and a black sweatshirt with a stitched heart on the center. They were making disgusting heart eyes at each other, the Bleeding Heart’s arm wrapped around the woman’s shoulders, pulling her close. Bill refrained from the want to gag, though it was a close thing.

If they started kissing, he really would be sick. The amount of PDA was suffocating. And reminding him of his own failures. Will looked at him as they drank their coffee, savoring the tastes, silent, beseeching questions that Bill couldn’t answer truthfully. He flashed a smile and shrugged. Will frowned and narrowed his eyes but Tad was still on the phone and he had to worry about keeping the Bread Husband from having a heart attack or killing them. Or both. He rolled his eyes as Tad started to lecture him on ‘ _Telling me where the fuck you are when you disappear for hours! You’ve been gone since ten! It’s almost noon Bill!!_ ’

“Ewww, get a room you two!” Nate called, laughing as the woman rolled her eyes and snorted before she smiled at Red and called,

“Hey, Wendy! There you are- Oh my god, are those the Cipher Twins?!” And she whipped out her phone just as Nate’s jaw dropped.

‘ _Bill?!_ ’ Tad asked, worry and concern spiking.

“We’re leaving. Will, grab the coffee.” and he ended the phone call, grabbing the coffee and sprinting out the door, Will close behind. They didn’t stop running till they made it back to the bus, parked in the venue’s lot. Tad was standing outside the bus, looking worried as Mabel paced back and forth, Dipper watching. Teeth and Xanthar watched the group, looking amused, leaning against a Toyota.

“What the hell happened to you two?!” Tad demanded and Bill huffed,

“Coffee… Found out… Groupies…” Tad’s glare softened and he sighed, nodding before he and Dipper took the coffee from the panting twins.

“Where did you two get the coffee? Hell, how did you not spill any?!” Dipper asked, amazement seeping into his voice before he took his coffee and took a long, appreciative gulp. Mabel picked up a few of the coffees before she found her hot chocolate and mocha frap with sprinkles, Tad walking into the bus to give everyone else their preferred caffiene intake.

“Magic. We’re fucking magic, Pine Tree.” Bill managed, smiling as Dipper rolled his eyes.

“A lot of practice. Teeth, we have yours, Xanthar’s and Anamorphous’ tea.” Will said as he caught his breath again. Dipper laughed and took a sip of his coffee, shuddering as the caffeine went through his system. Bill almost licked his lips before he remembered something important.

“Dipper, we have a problem. I’m not sure if it was her, but we ran into a woman named Wendy.” Dipper and Mabel froze before Dipper started to shake.

“Hey, come on bro-bro, it probably wasn’t her. Wendy’s a really common name, no need to freak. Come on, let’s get inside, get these two some dry clothes, and drink more coffee, yeah? Amorphous went out to get more good coffee for the road, it’s okay.” Turning to the others, she said,

“Our next show isn’t for another day, but we need to run through preliminaries and get everything checked out, do sound checks-”

“We gotcha, Mabel.” Will said with a gentle smile. “Tell us if you need help with Dipper.”

“First of all, you two are getting dry clothes on and we’re wringing those out. Teeth, can you make a run to the laundromat? Dry their clothes so they have something to wear later?”

“Sure, Boss.” Teeth smiled, teeth either too large or mouth too small, and plucked his tea out of the holder, handing Xanthar, a large, heavily muscled man with thick scars criss-crossing his dark skin, his London Fog.

“You two, strip.” Mabel ordered before ushering her twin inside. Bill made a mental note to check up on Dipper to be sure that he was really okay; the little game they played a few nights ago seemingly bonded them a little more, and started some kind of strange ritual. Each night, when Bill couldn’t sleep, he would sit up on the couch and read a book, curled in a nest of warm blankets and if Dipper joined him, he would situate himself so Dipper could rest against him, hard line of his back pressed against his side, one of Bill’s arms looped over his left shoulder and under his right arm, holding onto his own book. Dipper would read or quietly edit the film of the day, headphones in.

Last night, Dipper hadn’t been up and Bill started to nod off around four-thirty am and decided to check on Dipper before he went to bed; he was having a nightmare, curled tightly into a ball and whimpering ever so softly. His hands were balled in the sheets, white knuckled grip on the fabric- Bill had worried he would tear it. So he folded himself a little so he could fit, sitting, on Dipper’s bunk and began to run his fingers through his hair, singing softly.

Como Puede Ser Verdad  
Como no podía ser verdad?

Anoche soñé con San Pedro  
Al igual que yo nunca había ido, sabía la canción  
Una niña con ojos como el desierto  
Todo parece que fue ayer, no muy lejos

Dipper’s grip on the sheets loosened as Bill crooned oh so softly, not wanting to actually wake the other man up. Slowly, so achingly slow, Bill ran a thumb between his friends furrowed brow, soothing away the tension with soft but firm sweeps on his broad thumb. Breathing deep, Bill began again,

Tropical la brisa de la isla  
Todas naturaleza salvaje y libre  
Aquí es donde deseo estar  
La isla Bonita  
Y cuando la samba jugó  
El sol en lo alto,  
Anillo a través de mis oídos y mis ojos pican  
Su canción de cuna española

La hermosa isla

Me enamoré de San Pedro  
viento cálido lleva en el mar, me llamó  
Te dijo te amo  
Recé para que los días duraran  
Se fueron tan rápido

Él le dijo, "Te amo"

Bill knew he couldn’t hope for this songs meaning to apply to himself and Dipper, even in his most wild dreams. He could hope, but Dipper was oh so slowly warming up to him; there was no point in rushing it. Besides, he could still love Dipper and not be romantic- Fuck, he was too gone already with the man. His past made him want to wrap him in love and never let him see the dark, dead man inside of himself, instead remind Dipper how wonderful he was. He had known the man a scant two weeks and he was already attached. Bill hummed for a little, while forcing himself to get a fucking grip on his mental state and stop being so damn selfish. Dipper was easing out of his nightmare. Bill finished the lullaby.

Quiero estar donde el sol calienta el cielo  
Cuando llega la hora de la siesta puede verlos pasar por  
Caras hermosas, no hay preocupaciones en este mundo  
Cuando una chica ama a un chico, y un chico ama a una chica

Anoche soñé con San Pedro  
Todo parece que fue ayer, no muy lejos

La la la la la la la  
Te dijo te amo  
La la la la la la la  
El Dijo que te ama

Él le dijo, "Te amo"

Dijo que te ama.”

Dipper’s tight, almost defensive curl slowly unfurled and he managed to smile a little as Caeser woke up and blinked at him, green eyes flashing in the low light. Bill smiled and sat there for a few more minutes, humming some tune as he ran his fingers through Dipper’s hair, waiting for his tense muscles to entirely relax. He was knocked out of his thoughts of last night when he saw Dipper wander to the back and lay on his bunk, shutting the curtain as firmly as he could with a piece of fabric. Mabel looked at her brother’s bunk, worry painted across her face like thick acrylic paint, oozing off her like the water dripping off his and Will’s clothes.

“I’ll check on him, Mabel.” he said and she nodded, though the worry didn’t go away.

“He’ll be okay, I promise.” She sighed but left to take care of the sound checks with Tad. Will gave his twin a look and Bill shook his head. He didn’t want Will near when he talked to Dipper. He had just started to trust Bill; he could be a little selfish with that right. Will nodded and quickly changed, throwing his drenched clothes into a plastic shopping bag. Bill copied his twin, though a little slower, and waited for him to leave before he put his own clothes in another plastic shopping bag. He plopped it in the kitchenette sink before he moved to the back of the bus, over towards Dipper’s bunk. As he got closer, he could hear the faint scritch of a pen on paper and he knocked gently on the wood above his curtain.

“What.” Dipper said, voice void of emotion.

“Just makin’ sure you’re still alive in there, Pine Tree.”

“Hmnph.”

“Is that an invitation?”

“Bill-”

“Too bad, I’m coming in anyways.” He said before he opened the curtain and sat on the edge of the bed by Dipper’s hip, having to bend a little so he could fit properly.

“What’s eating you, Pine Tree?”

“Nothing.” He said it too quickly and Bill hummed before he fell silent. He could feel Dipper staring at him, saw him out of the corner of his eye, but he wouldn’t look at Dipper. Not unless Dipper started conversation. It was an old tactic Will had used time and time again to get him to open up. Bill could go for a long period of time without speaking, easily, but when he sunk into a funk, the presence of another person bothered him and he was forced to speak, if only to get them to leave him alone. He could only hope that Dipper was the same way as him.

“Bill, you know the saying, you’re strong enough?” He smiled to himself, internally fist pumping. It had worked! He hummed and nodded, instead.

“Well, it seems that what you say it, it’s just filled with contempt. ‘You’re strong enough.’ Ha, I’m not that strong. It feels more that you’re telling someone that they’re barely able to lift a ten pound dumbbell, just strong enough to join the lowest rank in a strength competition. It’s kinda like life… I could die in the next five minutes, and it would just be life cutting off the lowest ranking weight lifter-”

“Dipper, stop.” Bill could hear his teeth click together. He took a few deep breaths when he realized why; his voice had adopted that old edge, the edge that promised death and pain. His voice pitched lower, authoritative, and rougher. Darker. In the small space, it was like a shout that echoed. He waited for his heart to calm down, the hardfastpainful pace ramming against his sternum made it a little hard to speak.

“You are strong enough, Dipper Pines. What may be contempt to some is hope to those of us who keep our heads down low and are scared to put our hopes up high. All I want is for you to understand that you are strong enough, that you can stand tall. You’re not going to drown in anyone’s undertow; not your own, not life, nor the bitch who hurt you. You are strong enough, Dipper Pines. Never forget how far you’ve come, never doubt yourself.” He turned and faced his friend, eyes hard.

“All I want, Dipper, is for you to understand. You are capable. You are strong. You have a place to call your own. Never let anyone drag you down.” Suddenly, the hard look vanished and Bill started to bob his head, humming, eyes getting bright and brighter till they seemed to burn.

“Pine Tree, you’re amazing!” He hugged him quickly, and the sudden transition of serious to sudden and seemingly inexplicable joy left Dipper’s head spinning.

“Ah, you’re… welcome? What did I do?” He was too confused to sink back to his depressive state. Bill started cackling and leapt to his bunk, digging around for his computer and headphones.

“I think I’ve come up with a new song! I’m going to need more Mabel Juice if I want to get it out before tomorrow’s show and rehearsal. Tell the other’s I’m writing, will you Pine Tree?”

Dipper nodded, brow furrowing but Bill was already slipping on his over ear headphones, hands flying across the keyboard before he picked up a notebook and a slightly leaky pen, words flowing across the page. Bill could feel Dipper’s eyes on him for several long minutes before he stood and left, the bus door closing behind him, but he heard it only dimly through his headphones. He was already lost to the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so to clear some stuff up:  
> -Bill is writing a new song at the end of the chapter, it may or may not be featured in this fic. If you're curious about it, it's All I Want by A Day to Remember -- ALL SONGS BELONG TO THEIR ORIGINAL ARTISTS
> 
> -Wendy, Nate, Robbie, Tambry, and Lee all work at the same coffee shop and yes, it WAS Wendy Corduroy who Dipper dated in the past and it was the SAME Wendy that Bill and Will met when they went to get coffee. 
> 
> -The lullaby that Bill sang to Dipper is called La Isla Bonita and it's, at the bare basics, a song about a woman who never wants time to pass because the man she loves has said he loves not her, but another. I'm sorry if I butchered the meaning.


	4. Important Notice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is an authors note

- _gasps for air_ \- I AM ALIVE I SWEAR!!! For those of you who have been sending me comments on this fic, thank you very much!! As for why I haven't continued it, it's a mix of personal matters and just that I haven't had the time. I should be finishing up a few other fics that I've been working on for a while now and hopefully, I'll have time to pick this up again. To those of you who are sticking around, thank you very much! Being the third year in university eats up a lot of my time and again, personal issues.   
  
You can expect me to pick this back up in the coming months, I promise! I hope that you end up sticking around, this rollercoaster hasn't even begun to pick up. If you think things are going to settle down anytime soon, you haven't been paying attention. I hope that all is well and that when I pick this back up, you're just as excited to see where it goes as I am. Thank you so much for sticking around and I promise it'll be back soon as I can manage the time.   
  
-Rebel Raven 

**Author's Note:**

> So, I hope that this isn't terrible. Comments and kudos are much appreciated. Again, if you guys have any song suggestions, please leave me a comment with the artist(s) and song(s)! Comments also make me update faster. Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> -RR


End file.
